MIM(Prisons) is a cell of revolutionaries serving the oppressed masses inside U.$. prisons, guided by the communist ideology of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism.
by an Oregon prisoner April 2016 permalink
U.$. elections are a pig circus, a tactic to keep people distracted
while the U.$. military bombs the world.
Hark now all you merry souls and listen as the drumbeat rolls oh
what sounds, and sights abound come one and all, let’s gather
round no worries friends, no danger here no cause for panic,
fright or fear we’re all friends, make no mistake don’t mind
these guards, guns, dogs and gates just follow me yes, right this
way cause in this tent you’re here to stay
Now step to the right folks, here you’ll see stacks and rows of new
TVs! such a thrill to sit and watch these flashing pictures as
you rot now pay attention, here comes the end as you smile and
nod at the message they send, as they tell you what to want and
wear, on what to spend and when to care, on whom to hate, and
emulate and who should run this police state it’s all for your
own good you see cause freedom of thought saps your energy yes,
that’s it, makes perfect sense now sit and stare and lets
commence
Now once you’re done with program phazing we’ve something else
that’s just as amazing a feast for the mind now, if you will
euphoria! in just one little pill yes prozac, yes oxies, yes sweet
ridalin! and xannies, and valium and yes vicodin! we’ve got
benzos and dexos and zicobilafral we’ve got shit you can’t pronounce
at all! we’ve got your poison, whatever your vice opiate
derivitives and pharmaceutical ice we’ll fix your brain, your
chondriatic disease your moods, your stress, even your shakey
knees with only the sagest in new medications designed by
private health care corporations profiteers in big business
competition for capital gain and political position so pay no
mind to that small print warning pay for your pills and take two
every morning
And now that you’re passive on new medication let’s move right along
to the next demonstration onward we go into the main tent just
purchase your seating arrangement for rent oh yeah, almost forgot to
tell you we also reserve the full right to sell you and to buy
you, and steal you and to enslave you, even to kill you but
never you mind all of that just yet I’ll explain it all later (once
you forget)
Now come one and all, to the main demonstration! it’s about to
begin, oh what a sensation! oh what brilliance, oh what drama!
the procession is even being led by Obama! it’s the greatest of
shows, the biggest one ever! the world’s never seen such a grand
endeavor you see, the producers and directors who hid in the
shade have learned from mistakes that through history’ve been
made from Rome to Germany, and even from Stalin we’ve studied
the pitfalls in which they have fallen plus with post-industrialist
balloons, toys and clowns, and gadgets and gewgaws, distractions
abound in this consumerist culture, it’s a glorious ride! but if
you resist - force will be applied. now sit in your row, your
correct social class station with your face to the front for the big
presentation pay no attention to the stage hands behind who are
locking the exits and changing the signs
Now the music fades, the lights have gone low and the ringmaster
enters to start off the show oh what will he do? what will he
say? for what grand gala did we come all this way? such
anticipation and so much suspense but his smile drops, and now he
comments, “we’re sorry folks, but there’s been a mistake truth
is, you get jack for the tolls we do take you’ve read the signs
wrong, yet now they are gone but since you’re all here, the show
must go on so you there” he points to the bottom rung seating,
cracking his whip at those few retreating “Black folks, Chican@s and
freaks with mohawks! into the freakshow cages with locks! now
don’t waste your time and try to resist cause our bullies are on
roid and you DON’T want them pist! as for the third world ladies and
gents you’ll be the labor to prop up our tents you best not
complain, get your asses in gear as we control you with tactics of
fear don’t worry kind Amerikans, no cause for alarm, just
cooperate, I promise, we’ll bring you no harm have a laptop, a
smartphone, a”binky” of sorts a gesture of thanks for being such
good sports we’ll keep you medicated and very well fed we’ll
play your favorite cop shows and then send you to bed but don’t get
empathetic with those in our cages or we’ll send in the drones to
drop pies in your faces can’t you see the benevolence of our
militarization? it’s all just for you, such insane exploitation
such death to our slaves in third world countries such death to our
ecosystem and our cute little monkeys and death to you dissenters
who don’t like our shows and death to nature, care of money-hungry
CEOs and death to our search for meaningful progression and
human progress itself, by way of oppression and death to all those
that we can’t squeeze for money and death to all those who even look
at us funny as we pump millions in tons of poisonous fumes into
the atmosphere in visible plumes all so your luxurious leisure can
grow thank you for voting, now on with the show for the biggest
one ever, too big to be stopped come one, and come all to Uncle
Sam’s Big Top!
Our struggle against imperialism and toward communism is a long,
protracted struggle. It is carried out over decades and even centuries,
with long-term (strategic) planning and lifetime commitment. Many who
fight for communism give up their lives, not just through martyrdom but
also through a lifetime of dedication. In such a long-term project, it
is dangerous to lose sight of the larger context of our struggle.
Our enemies, the imperialists and anyone who’s with them, will do
everything they can to wear us down. They will drag us through the mud
as much as possible, in the hopes that we’ll get frustrated and give up,
or frustrated and sacrifice ourselves on the focoist cross.
A typical reader of Under Lock & Key has committed some
“crime” (as defined by the imperialists), and is imprisoned. The social
conditions that lead to imprisonment are an essential part of the
imperialists’ protracted struggle to maintain power. As a means of
keeping the internal semi-colonies under their boot, our enemies set up
any number of false pretenses for putting as many of our potential
comrades behind bars as possible.
Once turned on to ULK, a subscriber might start participating in
United Struggle from Within campaigns. Or ey might start learning more
about Maoism: the most effective threat to imperialism shown in humyn
history to date.
While participating in the anti-imperialist struggle definitely makes
one’s efforts at social change worthwhile, it does nothing to help a
comrade make parole. It doesn’t help you fly under the pigs’ radar. It
doesn’t keep you out of the hole. Naturally, identifying with the
struggle against the United $nakes government makes one a target for
that government’s boldest repression. Our comrades are constantly denied
parole, are constantly having their cells tossed, and are targeted for
forced psychotropic druggings and other methods of mental deterioration.
Their food is tampered with, they are beaten, and any tactic that may
wear down and frustrate our comrades is employed.
In these social circumstances, we need to consider how are we going
sustain our movement. How are we to make the most of the repressed and
limited time and energy we do have? How can we protect ourselves from
attacks on our physical and mental health, while locked in a tiny room
with complete sensory control? How can we build ourselves up, not just
for the day-to-day struggle, but for the long haul?
This issue of Under Lock & Key is on the topic of survival
and stamina, focusing on some things subscribers can do to better their
chances of survival, both mentally and physically, and make it possible
to do their most for the anti-imperialist struggle. There is much
important political work to be done, and a healthy body and mind is
important for long-term sustainability of our contributions to the
revolutionary struggle.
On survival, there are fights we must engage in for basic rights behind
bars: the fight for medical care and other needs often denied through a
corrupt grievance system, the struggle for access to education, and the
battle against classification in mentally and physically dangerous
long-term control units. Many campaign updates in this issue provide
practical tactics for these battles as a part of our overall strategy.
Survival behind bars also requires the struggles for peace and unity
among prisoners to build a situation of mutual respect, aid and
cooperation. Several articles remind readers that this fight against
repression requires united action. Building unity will help us win
victories to improve our organizing conditions while we build the
longer-term struggle. California prisoners write about the struggle to
maintain the Agreement to End Hostilities, while the essay on lumpen
class consciousness points to broader strategies we need to employ to
unite lumpen organizations (LOs) for both survival and advancement.
There is also work that individuals can do to improve their outlook,
education and use of time while behind bars. This is addressed in
articles on how to be disciplined in your day-to-day life, focusing on
study and organizing rather than watching TV, educating yourself, and
fighting alienation and individualism. Education in particular is
critical to survival in prison as it opens eyes and minds to the reality
of prison conditions and the broader struggle that can unite and give
purpose and direction to prisoners’ lives. As a Pennsylvania comrade
wrote: “The pigs try to stop real education in the gulags, because they
know that when we have a true education and know the truth about the way
things really are, they are defeated.”
A life of survival without political struggle is just survival of the
status quo. The most basic survival and stamina tactic is always
understanding the connection between our lives, as anti-imperialists,
with the lives of oppressed people all over the world. Our struggle is
made of many actions over a long period of time, and every contribution
has value. If we can maximize these contributions by taking care of
ourselves and each other as best we can, our internationalist struggle
will be all the better for it.
I write in response to the USW campaigns published in ULK 47.
Please be advised, the grievance system is nationally governed by the
United States Supreme Court Prison Litigation Reform Act. Although each
state has its own format, a DOC failure to respond to a grievance at any
stage is a failure of them to make the exhaustion remedies available.
Make sure in between stages to submit a simple delinquent notice if your
grievances are not responded to. Make sure to do this twice, and retain
copies. Then move through the stages and, if necessary, the delinquent
notices will suffice if litigation elevates to court level. Also, a
grievance rejected cannot be held by the exhaustion requirements of the
Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA) because the rejection deemed the
filing a non-grievable issue, therefore you have exhausted the grievance
procedure and may proceed if necessary. Please see:
438 f.3d 804, 809, 812 (7th GR. 2006)
569 F. Supp 2d 398, 406-07 (D. Del 2008)
287 F. Supp. 2d 210, 212 (WDNY 2003)
231 F. Supp. 2d 341, 350 (D. Me 2002)
54 F. Supp. 2d 199, 206 (S.D. NY 1999)
MIM(Prisons) adds: Many people facing problems with the grievance
procedures where they’re held also do not have access to a copy machine,
or their cells are tossed and all their documentation is sabotaged. This
suggestion of notifying staff of delinquency twice, and keeping copies,
appears like a good tactic if possible. We would also encourage
subscribers to request the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual chapter on
the PLRA that we distribute for $12 or equivalent work-trade. If you can
afford to buy the Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual outright
(approximately $30), we can send you the publisher’s order form.
The mere existence of the PLRA, plus all the little headaches that make
it so difficult to exhaust all available remedies, are signs that the
criminal injustice system in this country is a total joke. It’s not
designed for justice at all - it’s designed to frustrate and pacify, and
provide busy work for, the oppressed people who are subject to its
control. In addition to trying to fight winnable battles through the
courts when possible, we encourage our subscribers to get deep into
political study and organizing, which gets at the core of this unjust
capitalist system and all its organs of oppression.
The new hit single across California.
Available now @ Pelican Bay State Prison, California Correctional
Institution, San Quentin State Prison, Corcoran State Prison,
& Old/New Folsom State Prison. Stand up for your rights
now to get your free tickets!
The Soldiers of Bondage (S.O.B.) is a revolutionary communist
organization with its members consisting of political prisoners within
the Illinois Department of Corrections. The party was founded on 2 July
2011 in Pontiac Correctional Center Segregation. Current membership is
very small, but, with the publishing of this study guide, it is hoped
that the party will grow nationally in both numbers and resources. A
Manifesto of S.O.B. will be completed soon and it will hopefully be made
available to prisoners across Amerika.
The “Communist Manifesto” is the most important piece of political
literature to the communist. However, due to the many oppressive
conditions that plague the lumpen proletariat within the United $tates,
many prisoners have problems with comprehending the “Communist
Manifesto.” For this reason S.O.B. felt it necessary to create a study
guide that would assist prisoners in obtaining as much information as
possible from the “Communist Manifesto.” This study guide contains 184
questions as well as answers from the text.
After creating the study guide the next question to be answered was how
to make the study guide easily available to prisoners. After some debate
it was decided that the only real option was to go through MIM(Prisons).
We are not sure if MIM(Prisons) will just send this out to prisoners who
request it or if they will make it one of their official study group
programs. Either way it will assist prisoners in the development of
their political consciousness.
Remember that the only way to combat the oppressive conditions we are
subjugated to is to become aware of the cause and solution of our
oppression. It is the hope of S.O.B. that this study guide will help
many become aware of these elements. As Karl Marx and Frederick Engels
articulated within the “Communist Manifesto,” the proletariat must
emancipate itself. Amerika does not have a proletariat. However, Marx
and Engels’s edict is just as true for the lumpen proletariat: the
lumpen proletariat must emancipate itself. You must liberate yourself
from the oppression you suffer. Begin your journey to become the New Man
by educating yourself. Education is power. Resist! Rebel! Defy!
In strength and solidarity, Cadre (on behalf of S.O.B.)
MIM(Prisons) responds: First we want to commend this group for
their hard work focusing on communist education amongst the lumpen. The
extensive study guide they created took a lot of work. And their
decision to undertake a project that is focused on bringing up the level
of theoretical understanding of the lumpen suggests that we have a lot
of unity around our principal tasks at this time. MIM(Prisons) knows
little about the S.O.B. organization so we cannot comment on our
relative level of theoretical unity, and until they publish a manifesto
we can only say that the “Communist Manifesto” questions suggest we
agree on the bought-off nature of the vast majority of the
imperialist-country workers who now constitute a petty-bourgeoisie. This
is particularly important as we read a book like the “Communist
Manifesto,” which was written so many years ago when the labor
aristocracy was just a very small segment of the working class, and the
workers in First World countries were still a part of the proletariat.
We look forward to work and political discussion with S.O.B. We hope
these comrades in Illinois serve as an example for other USW study
groups across the country. If you want this study pack, write in to
MIM(Prisons). Tell us if you already have the “Communist Manifesto” or
if you need a copy
There are two important tasks which imprisoned revolutionaries need to
carry out. The first is to build public opinion for revolution. The
second is to survive their imprisonment long enough so as to ensure a
lasting impact on the revolutionary movement long after their release.
For those not getting out, it’s important not to give up, as your
contributions to oppressed peoples’ movements are still very meaningful.
It is from these concrete classrooms that some of the most dedicated
revolutionaries emerge, returning to their communities after years in
prison. Therefore the need for political instructors to train these
students is dire. As such, survival pending revolution should be an
important part of any comrade’s focus while imprisoned.
Survival pending revolution can mean figuring out how to navigate
everyday prison politics in a manner acceptable to the prison masses. At
its most basic this can mean doing no harm in the masses’ eyes.
Ultimately, the prison movement is a mass movement. How can we lead a
mass movement if the prison masses cannot trust us because we are
actively working against their own righteous interests? How can we claim
to stand for liberation if we are responsible for oppressing others? In
our interactions with the prison masses we must be like fish swimming in
the sea, not only blending in with our environment, but becoming one
with our environment.
The anti-imperialist prison movement is a mass movement, but if we don’t
have the support of the masses then we don’t have anything. This is an
important point that real revolutionary organizations have understood
from very early on. The Chinese Communist Party understood this and so
they created an eight point program which helped to address the needs of
both cadre and masses within the wider scope of revolutionary practice.
Decades later the Black Panther Party would incorporate this same
program into its organization, re-working the points to the BPP’s
specific conditions:
Speak politely.
Pay fairly for what you buy.
Return everything you borrow.
Pay for anything you damage.
Do not hit or swear at people.
Do not damage property or crops of the poor, oppressed masses.
Do not take liberties with women.
If we ever have to take captives do not ill-treat them.
Because prison can be such a violent place and communists are supposed
to stand against oppression, comrades associated with the prison
movement should make it a point to be best known as peacemakers rather
than agitators, unless of course they are dealing with injustice at the
hand of the oppressors. As such, the likelihood of injury is
significantly higher amongst prisoners when compared to people on the
streets, with one report citing that more than a quarter of state and
federal prisoners report being injured since admission to prison.(1)
These figures however do not account for prisoners who do not report
injuries, so the real number is definitely higher.
Another common cause of injury in prison, which is often overlooked and
under-reported, is the violence associated with prison sexual assault.
According to Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) reporting, more than 1
million people have been sexually assaulted in prison over the past 20
years.(1) That’s an astonishing 50,000 people a year every year for the
last 20 years! Again this estimation by PREA is likely under-reported.
Prison rape is important to prevent, not only for the obvious reasons
but because with sexual assault in prison comes “an increase in other
types of violence, including murder, involving inmates and staff, and
long lasting trauma which makes it even more difficult for people to
succeed in the community after release.”(1, 2)
When it comes to substance abuse virtually all prisoners are addicted to
something. Statistics show that 80% of prisoners abuse drugs or alcohol
and that nearly 50% of jail and prison inmates are clinically
addicted.(3) “Four of every five children and teen arrestees in state
and juvenile prisons are under the influence of alcohol and drugs while
committing their crimes, test positive for drugs, are arrested for
committing an alcohol or drug offense, admit having substance abuse and
addiction problems or show some combination of these
characteristics.”(3) This last point is very relevant to the lumpen in
prison and lumpen youth because most prisoners started doing drugs and
alcohol at very early ages, generally around the same time they start
breaking bourgeois laws and getting into trouble. A hundred and fifty
years ago social scientists like Marx and Engels started theorizing that
breaking bourgeois laws was just another way for oppressed people to
rebel against their oppressive conditions. Needless to say that this
form of rebellion was not very effective, but it is as Frederick Engels
termed “revolution in embryo.”
It is interesting that much of adolescence is spent in almost continuous
rebellion, as this is generally the stage in humyn development when
people begin to become conscious of the world around them in ways not
experienced before. The fact that lumpen youth engage in criminal
behavior at such an early age says a lot about the ways certain groups
in society begin to exhibit early signs of what can only be described as
an early group, or class, consciousness. This is important to note
because it shows that the lumpen realize where their place in society
under capitalist rule is, and they actively begin to figure out how to
fit in it.
The real take away here, however, is that many people who currently find
themselves in prison first learned to survive and fit into their
oppressive social environment by both developing and adapting many
negative behaviors as a way of seeking positive reinforcement within
negative situations. Unfortunately for the oppressed this positive
reinforcement came at the expense of reinforcing negative behaviors
which has of course landed them in prison. Learning to combat such
negative behaviors means having to unlearn many of the traits that were
previously thought socially acceptable and necessary. In essence, this
means learning to undo and working against the lumpen lifestyle. A
lifestyle that is not only characterized by violence, alcohol and drug
abuse, but by anti-people activity in general. As dialectical
materialists however we are confident that the oppressed nation lumpen
can learn to combat such negative character traits using the methods of
unity-struggle-transformation.(4) The hope of the oppressed internal
nations depends on it.
by a California prisoner March 2016 permalink[In January 2016, MIM(Prisons) received a report from a comrade in Kern
Valley State Prison stating that the Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH)
had been broken there. The incident included an attack by one group, and
retaliation by another group against others not necessarily involved in
the original attack. The original attackers reportedly ran to the state
for protection. The prospects for peaceful resolution were not great. In
response to this report, a comrade now working as part of the Free
Speech Society sent us this update on efforts to reconcile the conflict
in line with the AEH.]
All power to the people who do not fear
real freedom!!!
Mission Statement:
In the aftermath of two small-scale race-based “isolated” incidents that
occurred on B-facility in January of 2016 at Kern Valley State Prison,
the Free Speech Society was able to successfully initiate a conflict
resolution committee as a part of the inmate advisory council (IAC) that
has been established at this prison.
The conflict resolution committee ensures the de-escalation of potential
conflicts between various groups/formations on B-facility. As it
constitutes a body of like-minded individuals that is both
representative of the totality of the various groups/formations on
B-facility, but also capable of resolving potential or actual conflicts
in a responsible, positive, and expeditious fashion. In the past, Kern
Valley State Prison (KVSP) administrators, which is inclusive of
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR)
headquarters in Sacramento, California have made errors in one form or
another, by failing to ensure the engagement of the primary stakeholders
that are representative of those groups/formations actually engaged in a
conflict, nor has there been a body of “like-minded” individuals
specifically tasked with resolving potential conflicts before they
mature into actual hostile-based conflicts, whereby unnecessary
disturbances become manifest, which jeopardize the safety and security
of both prisoners and staff.
Per Departmental Operations Manual (DOM) 53120.5.3 (viz. “Special
Concern Sub-Committee”) the KVSP B-facility
Men’s
Advisory Council will enact the Conflict Resolution Committee (CRC).
The CRC is convened for the sole purpose of resolving potential and
actual conflicts on B-facility whenever and wherever they occur, and
effectively articulating these resolutions to the entire prisoner
population, with special attention given to the groups/formations in
conjunction with the Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH).
Because appropriate representation is essential to the resolution of
conflicts in an effective and responsible manner, the composition of the
CRC will reflect prisoner representation from each specific
group/formation who will in turn be responsible for engaging and
positively resolving any subdivisions in these groups.
A basic outline of the CRC representative body will consist of a
representative from each of the following groups/formations:
BGF
Surenos
Whites
Others
Crips
Bloods
Mexican nationals
Bay area Blacks
Hoovers
Muslims
415
Because of the sensitive nature of this special concern sub-committee,
the CRC must have access to the units on B-facility, per approval of the
facility captain. The daily activities of the CRC are designed to
increase dialogue across cultural lines of every formation/group to
promote a stronger foundation upon which issues can be put forward and
resolved in a constructive manner. Communication and timing are
essential components to preventing conflicts before they mature into
hostile-based conflict. Therefore, CRC members must be able to talk to
who they need to, when they need to. Our objective is to be proactive in
resolving potential and/or actual conflicts within the general
population. All prisoners are encouraged to relay any and all potential
conflicts to the CRC so they can be resolved in an expeditious manner.
The function and activities of this committee shall be to ensure equal
and effective representation of the entire general population in the
resolution of potential and actual conflicts on B-facility. The entire
CRC body will abide by the by-laws of the Inmate Advisory Council (IAC).
Our Struggle Continues!!! For more information about the Free
Speech Society go to:
www.freespeechsociety.org
MIM(Prisons) responds: What started as a report on the breaking
of the AEH at one of the largest California state prisons, has been
turned around to a testament of the practical work of the AEH. The
release of comrades from SHU is at play here in ensuring that the AEH is
upheld by the prison masses in a way that addresses the needs of the
masses.
In short order, comrades at KVSP have put to work the tools at hand to
address the contradictions among the people there in a practical way.
This is an example that should be followed and repeated throughout the
state and the country. All that said, in the long run we must caution
against depending on institutions of the state to meet the needs of the
oppressed. Conflict is not the natural state of the oppressed, it is
created. And the history of CDCR is one of utilizing, encouraging and
even creating divisions among the prison masses for its own interests.
When the Short Corridor Collective asked the CDCR to distribute the
statement calling for an Agreement to End Hostilities (AEH), that was a
correct tactical approach to working with the state. When the CDCR
refused, it still strengthened the cause of peace and unity among the
oppressed. In a recent essay a USW comrade lays out the history and
current reality of the MAC/IACs in California prisons.(1) While their
formation was based in the strength of the prison movement, they have
since been used to undermine the movement, as the comrade argues, as a
sort of neo-colonial force akin to U.$. foreign policy abroad.
Meanwhile, another comrade in
Pelican
Bay who has been struggling to build peace reports that attempts to
work within the MAC and within an approved Inmate Leisure Time Activity
Group have both resulted in increased harrassment by staff who see unity
as a threat.
Again, we commend the comrades at KVSP who have utilized the tools
available to them to address a very dangerous situation, and we offer
our support in those continued efforts. But we recommend that all those
attempting to build peace in prisons study the
5 principles
of the United Front for Peace in Prisons. Independence is one of
those principles, because without independence the masses do not have
the ability to make decisions for themselves and provide real solutions.
In 1987, the Guajardo v. Estelle case, modifying the
correspondence regulations in the Texas prison system, was finalized.
One of the results of Guajardo was prisoners with less than $5.00
in their trust fund accounts were considered indigent, and thereby
entitled to five one-ounce First Class correspondences per week, and
unlimited legal and privileged correspondences.
Circa 1998, Jason Powers, attorney at law, with the firm Vinson &
Elkins, contacted me informing me the state had filed a motion to vacate
Guajardo pursuant to the Prison Litigation Reform Act (PLRA).
Powers solicited my assistance in defending plaintiffs’ objection to
State’s motion. Obviously, the plaintiffs failed to prevail.
My concern regarding recent constrictions in indigent correspondence
procedures is: Since vacating of Guajardo, indigent prisoner
correspondence has been reduced from the 5 personal letters a week and
unlimited legal correspondence, to 5 personal and 5 legal correspondence
per month. This, when the indigent requirement has remained less than
$5.00 since 1978, never being adjusted per the inflated dollar.
As such, I intend to commence a petition campaign directed at State
Senator John Whitmire, State Committee on Criminal Justice, demanding
not only that the 5x5 weekly indigent correspondence regulations be
reimplemented, but that the standard of indigence required be adjusted
to reflect a realistic inflated dollar. So fly this by your grievance
writers and gauge their thoughts on the matter.
MIM(Prisons) responds: The reduction in indigent prisoner
correspondence envelopes has a direct impact on prisoners’ ability to
stay in contact with family, fight legal battles, and engage in
political education and organizing. The criminal injustice system wants
to curtail these activities as a part of the goal of social control. As
revolutionaries we support campaigns to expand access to correspondence,
as we know this is critical to our ability to reach our comrades behind
bars. We look forward to input from other grievance campaign
participants about this new tactic in Texas.
Another campaign that is active in Texas is the right to access to a law
library. We also recently learned that the Jailhouse Lawyers
Handbook has been banned across the Texas Department of Criminal
Injustice as of October 29, 2015. Texas is continuing a long history of
assault on oppressed peoples in that state, and the only way we’re going
to be able to overcome the new (and old) tactics developed (and
re-instituted) daily is to overthrow the state apparatus that makes it
possible. Obviously Amerikkka’s government system has got to go.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution by Stanley Nelson
2015
This film screened in major U.$. cities in the fall of 2015. I was
planning to use my notes in an article for our 50th issue on the 50th
anniversary of the Black Panther Party. However, in February 2016 the
film was shown on PBS with much publicity. Knowing that our readers have
now seen the film we wanted to put some commentary out sooner rather
than later. But do make sure to check out Under Lock & Key Issue
50 for a more in-depth counter-narrative to this pop culture film.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is an eclectic
collection of video and photography, along with contemporary commentary
from some who played important roles in the Party. The producer clearly
had no deep ideological understanding of the Black Panther Party, as
critics on the left and the right have already noted. What ey was good
at was picking out some good sound bites and emotionally moving clips.
Yet, even still, as someone with extensive knowledge of Panther history,
i often found the film boring. Most of the audience seemed to enjoy it
based on the loud cheering at the end.
I have not watched Stanley Nelson’s other films, but it seems that a
film on the Panthers is within the realm of previous documentaries ey
has produced (Jonestown, The Black Press, Freedom
Riders and Freedom Summer). It is curious that ey takes on
these topics, and then does such a shallow portrayal of the Panthers.
Nelson says ey was 15 when the Panthers formed and was always fascinated
with them, but was not a participant in the movement emself.(1)
In line with the lack of ideological understanding, the treatment of
Panther leaders was dismissive. The most in-depth discussion of Huey P.
Newton was related to eir downward spiral into drugs and crime after the
Panthers had been well on their way to dissolving. Nelson features sound
bites from interviews calling Newton a “maniac” and Eldridge Cleaver
“insane.” Eldridge Cleaver was cast as a misleader from the beginning in
this film. While both story lines are based in reality, the story that
is missed is the great leadership role that Huey played, both
ideologically and in practice, in building the greatest anti-imperialist
organization this country has seen. At that time Eldridge too played an
important role ideologically and organizationally, even if he was less
consistent than Huey. Fred Hampton was given a more favorable portrayal
by the film, but he died a martyr just as he was getting started. (And
despite the attention given to Hampton’s assassination there is no
mention of him being drugged beforehand, presumably by an FBI spy.)
There is a pattern of character assassination in the film that does
nothing to deepen our understanding of what the Panthers were, why they
succeeded, and why they failed. It will turn some people off to the
Panthers and push people towards an individualist or anarchist approach
to struggle.
To get an accurate portrayal of the Panthers one is better off watching
archival footage, as today you can find ex-Panthers of all stripes, and
very very few who uphold the Maoist ideology of the Panthers at their
height. Former chairman, Bobby Seale, who long ago stopped putting
politics in command, was barely mentioned in the film, perhaps because
he refused to be interviewed.(1) Elaine Brown, who took over the
chairpersyn position after the party had already moved away from a
Maoist political line, does appear but has written a scathing
denunciation of the film and asked to be removed from it.(2)
As other critics have pointed out there is a lack of mention of national
liberation, socialism, communism, and the international situation
overall at the time. It is ironic for a film titled “Vanguard of the
Revolution” to ignore the key ideological foundations of the vanguard.
This reflects a clear effort to build a certain image of what the
Panthers were that ignores the basis of their very existence. As such,
this film contributes to the long effort to revise the history of the
BPP, similar to the efforts to revise the history of other influential
revolutionary communist movements in history. This only stresses the
importance of building independent institutions of the oppressed to
counter the institutions of the bourgeoisie in all aspects of life and
culture.
Since 2010, after the so-called “Arab Spring” that caused governments in
North Africa and the Middle East to crumble, those regions have been in
all-out war at the expense of the people who populate them.
Over here on this side of the world, people have prejudiced animosity
towards the people who populate war-torn countries like Syria and Yemen.
First World nationalists and the bourgeoisie, along with the
petty-bourgeoisie, believe that the displaced people risking their lives
to come to the United $tates or European Union threaten their First
World lifestyle. What nerve these money hungry, war-mongers have. It’s a
fact that very few First Worlders have actually seen war, or experienced
hunger, or had to give up everything and risk their lives taking a
chance migrating to a new country, sometimes even a new continent, to
have a so-called “better life” and partake in the “Amerikan dream” that
everyone talks about.
600,000 people crossed into Europe this year, sometimes 10,000 a day.(1)
This is a cycle that goes back centuries, but now that it’s affecting
the First World’s backyard, the imperialists have no choice but to admit
that it’s gotten out of hand. Now the imperialists are calling it a
“world crisis.” My question to them would be, what world are you talking
about? I doubt they’re talking about the world as a whole.
In the European Union, right-wing parties that promote xenophobia were
on the rise way before the displaced people started pushing through the
borders.(1) Now protectionist E.U. governments are complaining that
Europe will change for the worse because of the mass migration plaguing
their countries. They complain that the displaced people will “take
their jobs, get spoiled on government benefits, and worst of all change
the identity of Europe.”(1) Wow, I say fuck their identity, for
centuries they’ve been destroying ours.
Thanks to globalization, smuggling displaced people has become a
full-blown enterprise. Smugglers charge up to $1,200 a persyn and
children at half that. This is big business with a lot of activity in
the Mediterranean. So much so that 100 boats leave Turkey for Greece
almost daily, each packed with over 40 people. All this adds up to over
$5 million a day for the smugglers.(2) This is true capitalism, getting
rich off the people of the Third World.
Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism, is to blame for the wars
in poor regions like the Middle East with the real victims being our
children. Our youth are being poisoned with bourgeois culture, and
parasitic class ideology. That type of mentality is everywhere: in
books, magazines, TV, and the radio. No matter what part of the world
you’re in, all you hear about is how great Amerika is, the so-called
land of the free where nobody’s poor, or hungry, or cold. People, some
still children, leave their home countries because they want to believe
in a utopia where they are safe from bombs or stray bullets. Only thing
is that the imperialist propaganda machine doesn’t tell them that the
“Amerikan dream” is for a chosen few. I know because I am one of them
that risked it all at a young age for a piece of that “Amerikan dream”
and now here I am locked away in a humyn warehouse. According to an ABC
news report aired on Good Morning America, “5,000 children
crossed the U.$./Mexico border alone in October.”(3) Now they’re in
koncentration kamps being processed to be deported back to their poor,
war-torn, inhumyn countries. Every one of them treated like an animal,
locked away in so-called “refugee camps.”
The imperialists call this “radical ideology,” but as materialists and
students of Maoism we point out the fact that the First World exploits
the Third World for its cheap labor and resources. These bureaucratic
pigs justify their imperialist policies by claiming to promote democracy
and Liberal capitalism. But in reality they flex their muscles in the
Third World to intimidate other nations for the purpose of exploiting
their oil fields or mines that are rich in minerals, and any nation that
resists is called “undemocratic” or “ruled with an iron fist,” attacked
by the imperialist propaganda machine. Now that some nations want some
of that wealth (that was made off the oil or minerals) the imperialists
stole, the imperialists push policies to block any of those nations from
entering the empire and partaking in the benefits that the wealth
provides. It’s all in the hystory books for anyone to see. The First
World exploits the Third World in the form of neo-colonialism.
As anti-imperialists we oppose U.$. and E.U. aggression in the Third
World, and we put them on blast for their crimes against humanity. If
NATO could stabilize the Middle East with their billions of
dollars/euros they would have done it by now. Now the imperialists see
that they have awakened a giant, not in the form of socialism, but
still, in the form of anti-imperialism. The bourgeois media gives off
this false perception of the people of the Third World as illiterates,
uncivilized, and religious fanatics, but hystory is on our side and just
like in China, Cuba, Vietnam, etc. the people of the Third World will
prevail.
Just like in Nazi Germany the United $tates is using white nationalism
in the form of patriotism to use fascist-like tactics and policies to
repress oppressed nations here in the United $tates. It’s sad really,
some actually believe that imperialist forces overseas are actually
protecting their freedom. And to those who speak up on the crimes the
state department commits against their own people, well just look at
Edward Snowden. And if you’re against the war crimes committed by the
U.$. forces, well just look at Bowe Bergdahl. Both are considered
traitors.
We must educate the youth that flashy cars and jewelry is not what life
is really about. The reason that people have for coming to the United
$tates is that they too want to get rich and own a mansion in Beverly
Hills. This is what the United $tates preaches and then they complain
when others flood their borders to partake in the “Amerikan dream.” We
must expose the real criminals. Down with the imperialists and their
puppet regimes, all power to the people.
No doubt even throughout the global community many have heard of the
infamous “3 Strikes Law.” In California if someone gets 3 felony
convictions they face a sentence of LIFE in prison. The law has created
quite a bit of controversy and there’s been a few token reforms to it
that mean about as much as calling San Quentin (SQ) a “Correctional
Center” instead of a prison.
SQ’s Adjustment Center (AC) is also in the midst of controversy and in
the process of implementing reactionary token reforms in much the same
way. They also implemented what could be called “The 2 Strikes Law.” The
SQ oligarchy calls their oppressive tool of retaliation Operational
Procedure (OP) 608 Section 825 A.4. Here’s how it gets implemented:
On 25 December 2015 while en route to group yard Sergeant Rodrigues
waved a piece of paper in a prisoner’s face, after asking him if he
remembered refusing to show his asshole to officer C. Burrise the other
day. Rodrigues tells the prisoner he is going to the AC for receiving
two serious Rules Violations Reports (RVRs) within 180 days of each
other. A death row prisoner receives an indeterminate SHU term for that.
The two RVRs involve the prisoner’s refusal to submit to unclothed body
search procedures either prohibited by OP 608 Section 765(2) (local
prison rules) and state law, or not applicable to East Block (EB)
prisoners. In fact, before either of these RVRs were fabricated the
prisoner had filed several staff complaints citing the Prison Rape
Elimination Act (PREA) and alleged “sexual harassment under the guise of
security.” The prisoner also wrote an informal letter to Specialized
Housing Division Facility Captain J. Arnold asking him to abolish his
“Perversion Enforcement Team Training Project” (PETT Project). That got
the prisoner a punitive cell search response resulting in the
confiscation of a loaner TV and theft of art supplies valued at $48. So
now you know the motive. But let’s see what else this means for ALL
death row prisoners thinking Seigle & Yee are to the rescue.
Seigel & Yee are the attorneys currently representing the “AC class”
regarding the long-term/indeterminate SHU program conditions experienced
by death row prisoners in the AC. One prisoner who corresponded with
Seigle & Yee attorney Emily Rose Johns in early 2014 from his
recently acquired EB (SHUII) cell reports advising her a wave of
prisoners formerly doing indeterminate SHU terms in the AC was flowing
into EB and being assigned to the “Sun Deprivation Program.”(1) This
prisoner came over to EB just ahead of that wave. Johns’s response to
our dilemma was, “We intentionally kept the scope of the case narrow for
many reasons, including out of respect for the experience prisoners in
the AC had with the Thompson case.”
So now it’s about time that someone points out that experience prisoners
in the AC had with the Thompson case, including not rescinding the 2
Strikes Law, and that OP 608 Sec. 825 A.4. is still being used as a
revolving door into the abyss of indeterminate SHU terms. How leaving
that door wide open could be hailed as a reform or “respect for the
experience of prisoners in the AC had with the [SQ/Seigel & Yee]
case” remains to be seen by a lot of prisoners literally LEFT IN THE
DARK for years.
This unfolding experience brings to mind an article from a recent issue
of Under Lock & Key.(2) It sets the record straight,
explaining in detail the
“reforms”
hailed in the media regarding indeterminate SHU terms with respect
to prisoners subject to the cruel and unusual conditions in the Pelican
Bay gulag. Just as the so-called reform left the doors wide open to
every other SHU in California’s gulag system, merely limiting the time
spent doing an indeterminate term at Pelican Bay to 2 years. It’s
nothing, NOTHING different than SQ’s 2 Strikes Law being intentionally
contested. Torture cannot be reformed. So the practice of long-term
isolation must be ABOLISHED. The construction of more SHUs at SQ must
stop because it is torture.
by PTT of MIM(Prisons) February 2016 permalink
Beyonce’s Michael Jackson homage costume, and Black Panther backup
dancers.
Beyonce is the Queen of pop in the United $tates, so this review isn’t
meant to uphold em as a revolutionary force. Eir ties to Empire and the
lack of internationalism in eir recent series of publicity stunts is a
reminder of Beyonce’s attachment to U.$. institutions. Instead this
article is meant to analyze eir performance at Super Bowl 50, and eir
recently released song and music video, “Formation”, from a
revolutionary Maoist perspective.
The “Formation” video is the
most interesting thing in pop culture in a long time, and the
Super Bowl performance was
likely the most interesting thing in all football history. Beyonce’s
dancers donned afros and berets (yet, not pants), and performed eir new
song “Formation.” Like Nina Simone, Beyonce is being compelled by the
struggle of eir nation to take an explicit political position. Simone
correctly stated that “desegregation is a joke” and Beyonce is
suggesting that cultural integration is not worthwhile. After Martin
Luther King was assassinated, Simone performed a poem which called for
violent uprising against “white things”, imploring New Afrikans to “kill
if necessary” and to “build black things” and “do what you have to do to
create life.”(1) Simone was a reflection of eir nation at the time.
While Beyonce’s twirling of albino alligators is a weak replacement for
Simone’s poetic diatribe, we hope today’s New Afrikans will keep pushing
cultural icons in more militant and separatist directions.
The Song
Let’s start with what holds this whole phenomena together. The lyrics
for “Formation” are not revolutionary.(2) They promote
consumerism, making billions, drinking alcohol, being light-skinned, and
fucking. They primarily promote cultural nationalism and economic
integration with Empire. What comment the lyrics make on the
international relationship between New Afrika and the Third World is
more promotion of Black capitalism, on the backs of the most oppressed
people in the world – those who are slaving over eir Givenchy dress and
dying to mine the diamonds in the Roc necklaces ey is rocking.
Alicia Garza, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, correctly calls out
Beyonce’s bad economic recommendations in this song, “her celebration of
capitalism – an economic system that is largely killing black people,
even if some black people, like her, achieve success within it – [has]
also been a source of important critique.”(3) Although Garza’s comment
is tame, it’s an important generalization to be made. Considering
Garza’s following, it’s an important persyn to be making it.
On a positive note, the song celebrates New Afrikan culture that is
still under so much attack in the United $tates. While we prefer the
revolutionary content and gender relations contained in
Dead Prez’s “The
Beauty Within”, “Formation” is still an exercise of Black pride.
Whether that pride is then mobilized into a revolutionary
internationalist direction is up to the New Afrikan masses, who aren’t
getting a whole lot of clarity from Beyonce on that tip.
“Formation” calls for New Afrikan unity of the sexes, and of females as
a group (not unusual for Beyonce’s typical pseudo-feminist fare). In the
lyrics about going to Red Lobster, or going on a flight on eir chopper,
or going to the mall to shop up, Beyonce advocates a reward-based system
for harmonious sexual relations. Beyonce also brings in gay and trans
New Afrikan culture, from the use of the word “slay” over and over, to
the voice samples and New Orleans Bounce style of music used for the
song.(4) Resolution of gender antagonisms within New Afrika are a good
thing. But if the goal is Black capitalism, that’s bad for the
international proletariat and just an extension of the gender
aristocracy phenomenon into the relatively privileged New Afrikan
internal semi-colony.
MIM(Prisons) upholds the line that all sex under patriarchy has elements
of coercion(5), and offering perks for enjoyable sex is still an
expression of patriarchal gender relations even if Beyonce is not a
typical male father figure. Within the predominantly white Amerikkkan
nation, rewards for compliance with patriarchy help to unite Amerika
against the oppressed nations.(6) But within the oppressed internal
semi-colonies, these lyrics are more interesting, especially considering
the long tradition of the Amerikkkan-male-dominated recording industry’s
use of divide-and-conquer tactics in selecting which music to record and
promote. Beyonce isn’t promoting sexual entitlement or sexual passivity
– patriarchal values that do more to divide New Afrika in practice, and
which are heavily promoted in mainstream culture. Assuming whoever is
fucking Beyonce could still feed emself without relying on that trade,
it’s not a matter of life and death, and so these lyrics are less of a
threat of starvation than a promotion of national unity. When united
against a common oppressor, subsuming the gender struggle to the fight
for national liberation, gender harmony in the oppressed nations can be
a revolutionary force.
The best part about the song is the separatism and militancy. If the
song were to get stuck in your head, it could be a mantra for working
hard and uniting. It even gets into who the unity is directed against –
Beyonce twirls on them haters, albino alligators. Ey twirls them, as in
alligator rolls them, as in kills them. The haters are albino
alligators, as in they’re white. Ey calls on others to slay these
enemies, or get eliminated. In other words, choose a side.
The Video
Two middle fingers in the air on the plantation. Moors in the
background.
Beyonce throws a ‘b’ on top of a sinking New Orleans Police car.
Cops surrender to kid dancer.
Beyonce’s kid’s screw face and proud afro.
The “Formation” music video, which was released as a surprise the day
before the Super Bowl, is a celebration of New Afrikan national culture
and a condemnation of oppression of New Afrikans. It is thick with
important and unmistakably New Afrikan cultural references. Beyonce
sings, poses, raises a Black fist, and drowns on top of a New Orleans
Police car, sinking in floodwaters. A little Black kid hypnotizes a line
of cops with eir incredible dancing, and the cops raise their hands in
surrender. Beyonce raises two middle fingers on a plantation. There are
references to the Moorish Science Temple, gay and trans New Afrikan
culture, hand signs, a Black church service, and more, more, more…(7)
“Stop Shooting Us” is spraypainted in the background. The subjects of
the video look directly into the camera, confidently, and say “take
what’s mine,” including Beyonce’s kid Blue Ivy, complete with eir baby
hair and afro.
This video doesn’t clearly distinguish between integration and
secession. Should New Afrikans just keep trying to make peace with
Amerikkka, but while asserting a Black cultural identity? Should New
Afrika honor its culture, and lives, by separating itself from Amerikkka
and forming its own nation-state? Should this nation-state be capitalist
or communist? Outside of a revolutionary context, much of the cultural
markers that are present in this video could be taken as integrationist.
Hopefully the militance and anti-white sentiment of the video will push
New Afrika to get in formation to study up and push for actual (not just
cultural) liberation from the many forms of oppression highlighted in
the video.
The Super Bowl Halftime
That Beyonce was permitted to perform with dancers dressed up like the
former Black Panther Party members is somewhat of a mystery. Is it
because, ignoring any political content, one would still witness a show
of tits and ass, so for the average ignoramus watching the biggest
football event of the year, it’s no different? Maybe it’s because this
year is the semi-centennial anniversary of the Black Panther Party, so
it’s gonna come up in mainstream culture sometime, might as well come up
with lots of distraction from the political content. Or maybe the growth
of the Black Lives Matter movement has made room for this performance to
be possible, and perhaps even necessary to quell uprisings by helping
New Afrika feel included in such a paragon cultural event. For whatever
reason(s), it’s obvious this half-time show would not have happened a
few years ago. In fact, Beyonce led the entire halftime show in 2013 and
while ey avoided any mention of patriorism, ey didn’t reference police
brutality or New Afrikan nationlism either. It’s a milestone, and one
that shows Black pride is definitely resurfacing country-wide.
Not surprisingly, the Super Bowl has a long history of promoting white
nationalism.(8) Some overt examples include in 2002 when U2 helped the
country mourn 9/11, with Bono wearing a jean jacket lined with an
Amerikkkan flag which ey flashed at the audience, with the names of
people who died in the “terrorist” attacks projected in the background.
In 2004, Kid Rock wore an Amerikan flag as a poncho, and when ey sang
“I’m proud to be living in the U.S.A.” over and over, two blondes waved
Amerikan flags behind em. When necessary, the Super Bowl even has a
tradition of promoting integration and “world peace,” some of which we
explore below. At this year’s performance, Coldplay upheld these
decidedly white traditions. Where there was one Amerikan flag, it was
during Coldplay’s portion of the performance. When there was feel-good
bouncing and rainbow-colored multiculturalism, Coldplay was leading it.
When the audience was told “wherever you are, we’re in this together,”
the singer of Coldplay was saying it. It’s not surprising that the white
Coldplay frontman would be the one to promote this misguided statement
of unity. As explored in
the
review of Macklemore’s “White Privilege II” project, no, we’re not
in this together. And we don’t need white do-gooders playing leadership
roles that distract from national divisions, and thus, the potency for
national liberation struggles.
At the end of the Coldplay-led halftime show, the stadium audience made
a huge sign that said “Believe in Love.” On the other hand, some of
Beyonce’s dancers were off-stage holding a sign that said “Justice 4
Mario Woods” for cameras. One is a call to just have faith that our
problems will go away. Another is a call for a change in material
reality: an end to murders by police. (Side note: Someone who was
allegedly stabbed by Mario Woods just prior to Woods’s 20-bullet
execution has come out to tell eir story. Whether ey mean to or not,
this “revelation” is being wielded in an attempt to discredit Beyonce as
a competent political participant, and to lend more justification to the
unnecessary police murder of Woods. Whatever Woods did just prior to eir
execution, that ey is dead now is wholly unjustified. The demand for
“Justice 4 Mario Woods” is correct, and underlines how New Afrikan
people are gunned down in the streets without due process, which is
supposedly guaranteed by the U.$. Constitution.)
Super Bowl dancers form an “X” on the field, and hold a sign reading
“Justice for Mario Woods”.
While Beyonce’s performance didn’t break new ground by bringing up
politics or social problems, it was done in a different way than in the
past, that may be a marker for how our society has changed. The costume
Beyonce wore, which was adorned with many shotgun shells, was a
reference to the costume Michael Jackson wore during eir Super Bowl 1993
performance. Where Michael Jackson had banners of a Black hand shaking a
white hand, Beyonce had Black Panther dancers, so touchdown for Beyonce.
But where Beyonce sings “you might be a Black Bill Gates in the making”,
Jackson advocated for the children of the world because “no one should
have to suffer.” Beyonce’s individualist capitalism is devoid of any
awareness that today’s New Afrikan wealth, especially of Gates
proportions, is stolen by the United $tates military from exploited
nations across the globe. Yet Jackson’s multiculturalism invites unity
with oppressor nation chauvinism, which historically usurps oppressed
nation struggles and drives them into the ground.
In Janet Jackson’s performance in 2004 (you know, the one where Justin
Timberlake stalked em around the stage and then exposed Jackson’s breast
to the world), ey performed the song “Rhythm Nation.” The
video for “Rhythm
Nation” features militant outfits, with pants. In the video, Jackson
and eir dancers intrigue a few Black people who are wandering around
what appears to be the Rhythm Nation’s underground headquarters, another
reference to the enchanting powers of dance. “Rhythm Nation” is about
unity and brotherhood, “break the color lines”, but it’s not about
Blackness.(9) At the Super Bowl, Jackson called out various injustices
faced by oppressed nations (prejudice, bigotry, ignorance, and
illiteracy) and called out “No!” to each one, but didn’t make it about
New Afrikan struggle. That Beyonce clearly delineates eir struggle from
the struggle of whites with this performance is an advancement off of
Jackson’s.
On the topic of organizing females and combating New Afrikan female
internalized racism, Beyonce’s performance is a step above other
performances. A few examples: Nelly and P. Diddy’s dancers in 2004 were
dark-skinned but were straight-haired compared with Beyonce’s backups.
In 2004 they also wore straight hair, as in Madonna’s performance in
2012 as well. Even though Madonna called on “ladies” like Beyonce does,
Madonna called on them to cure their troubles on the dance floor.
Beyonce calls on ladies to get organized (in formation). It should be
obvious which message MIM(Prisons) prefers.
During Madonna’s performance, MIA gave a middle finger to the camera
during the lyric “I’ma say this once, yeah, I don’t give a shit.” But
then MIA and Nikki Minaj joined a tribe of dark-skinned, straight-haired
cheerleaders revering Madonna as their blonde, white idol. Beyonce’s
Panther dance-off with Bruno Mars is a step in a better direction. We
also prefer Beyonce’s dancers forming a letter “X” on the field (likely
another New Afrikan reference), as opposed to Madonna’s
self-aggrandizing “M”.
Whether it’s dancing at the Super Bowl or dancing in front of a line of
pigs, impressive dancing isn’t what’s going to get the New Afrikan
nation out of the scope of Amerikkkan guns. Beyonce is a culture worker,
so that’s eir most valuable weapon at this time. As long as she keeps
shaking her ass, white Amerikkka might stay hypnotized and let Beyonce
continue to promote New Afrikan pride. Hopefully many people in New
Afrika who watched the Super Bowl will study up on history, as Beyonce
hints at, and revolutionary internationalism of the Black Panther Party
can be injected tenfold into the growing Black Lives Matter
movement.(10)
I am currently writing to you from inside the walls of Georgia’s Hancock
State Prison where I am housed in its Tier II program. I am writing in
hopes that I can be one of those who receives Under Lock &
Key issues because I have a supreme respect for its message. I
really value its information and am in hopes that I can help in
spreading its message to the unconscious minds that fill these prison
cells to its fullest capacity.
Also I would like to study and learn as much about Maoism, as I have
taken his views as mine thus far. Me and three of my comrades have been
rotating the few issues available among one another, and have taken to
your 6 points and 5 principles as the foundation of our Guerrilla Union.
We all come from different sides, but through awareness of the truth
taught by you comrades of MIM we’ve put these titles aside and are now
striving to build a strong unity under Maoist teachings and play our
part in the struggle towards a socialist/communist society. Whatever
must be done will be done on our end. This paper would do a lot for us.
Keep spreading the word cause with us it starts inside but continues
when we return to the streets. Please keep me in mind, for I am a
sincere comrade, and once again your paper would mean a lot to my
strive. Your brother in the struggle, UHURU. Let’s get free!!
MIM(Prisons) responds: This comrade is on the same track as
thousands of other prisoners across the United $tates who have
discovered that Maoism isn’t just words written by some long-dead persyn
from China, but a living philosophy that can be applied to current
conditions of oppression around the world. This should be no surprise,
even to the imperialists if they are paying attention. Maoism is merely
the practice and application of scientific thought, or as communists
call it, dialectical materialism. We learn from history and apply those
lessons to advance our theoretical understanding.
Prisoners, who are among the most oppressed people within U.$. borders,
can see from their everyday experiences that the oppressors aren’t
giving up their power without a fight. This is just one example of why
Maoists understand the need for a dictatorship of the proletariat after
the people overthrow the imperialist governments. We need a system that
can enforce the power of the people, even when the oppressors try to
claw their way back into power.
And once we have established a system of government that is serving the
interests of the majority of the world’s people rather than the
minority, history teaches us that we still can’t rest easy. It’s not
just the old bourgeoisie of capitalism who will present a threat, but
the new bourgeoisie that will arise and hope to seize power from within
the party and government. This drive for persynal power and wealth is a
remnant of capitalist culture that won’t disappear overnight after a
socialist revolution.
It is these lessons, among others, that prisoners must study to help
build an organization that can eventually join the oppressed nations of
the world in successfully ending the reign of terror of the
imperialists. Thankfully MIM(Prisons) distributes many of these
materials and helps run study courses on vital topics. Write to us at
the address on p. 1 to get involved!
I am a true soldier for the cause of change and the fight it takes to
accomplish it. I have been housed at Pelican Bay State Prison since
2013, after being released for a sticking. My prior dealings with this
place dates back to 1996 when I did my first bid. Currently I have
chosen to embrace change and growth as well as a United Front for Peace
at Pelican Bay State Prison.
I am currently involved in “P.E.A.C.E.”, Prisoners Embracing
Anti-hostilities and Cultural Evolution. We have been going strong for
over 8 months. Our cause is based on embracing anti-hostilities and
cultural evolution amongst Africans, Hispanics, Whites, Asians,
Islanders, and Native Americans by way of partaking in tournaments of
basketball, handball, volleyball and having made a conscious choice for
change.
These efforts are not being taken lightly by this prison, and every
effort is being made to stomp our push for change. The oppressor has
refused to follow any of their own set rules and regulations as far as
Inmate Leisure Time Activity Groups (ILTAGs) are concerned and assisting
our approved ILTAG from running said tournaments without any hassle or
fear of our sponsor being prevented from performing his duties without
constant nickel and dime harassment tactics.
Pelican Bay State Prison is not open for change. I have been placed in
Ad-Seg due to what staff here refer to as “causing ripples.” I did 9
months with no charges or a finding of guilt as to that 115
[Disciplinary Report]. A comrade took on the Men’s Advisory Council
chairman job and raised many concerns of the general population, only to
find their house searched by squad numerous times, and constantly given
urine tests, though none of these tactics ended with any findings of
guilt.
I have so much to share with you all including the atmosphere on these
main lines and the new tactics being used to incite violence, chaos and
riots. I am on the front line as are so many other brethren here, but we
need that voice and the way shared with us on how to proceed in the
correct way.
I wish to further educate the masses here at Pelican Bay State Prison as
do others, but we seriously need a support system from the outside. Just
like the distance of this place from civilization, this is what it feels
like to seek rehabilitation, peace, and change at a place that
specializes in oppressing. Prisoners’ mail is not going out or coming
in, and there is no way to prove either way, the
602
[prisoner grievance] process is in shambles; even when you win in
this prison you still lose. Every action causes a reaction and Pelican
Bay is notorious for their continued nit picking until they get the
reaction they are seeking: chaos, violence, riots and disunity amongst
prisoners.
We humbly ask for your assistance in bringing change to Pelican Bay
State Prison, and the followers you possess in how to proceed. Please
include all information and knowledge needed to proceed. Contact myself,
and all will be shared with the men concerned. P.E.A.C.E.
Knowledge is the higher power. Thru dedication, struggle, sacrifice,
knowledge and revolution we will put Aztlán along with the rest of the
oppressed back in power. Don’t let TV and the bullshit ass propaganda
dictate what you can and can’t do, much less a bunch of sheep heads with
a stitched up patch that suppose to mean “authority say so.” Also to my
elders out in the so-called free world and the ones coming out them SHU
dungeons after years and decades of oppression, my message is this:
Avoid calling the youth “little homies” as in diminishing their status
comrade!! Instead if you are so “big,” I’m assuming in mind,
por favor embrace the youth and teach em to teach, teach em to
understand, teach em to resist, teach em to organize. Put a mirror in
front of em and give em a soul. Cuz 80% of the population are zombied
out. We all put in work the same, but you that are looked upon as elder
and leader, especially from out the dungeon, have a stage and a mic.
Remember a true revolutionary is not categorized by age, looks, material
items or what one did a thousand years ago, but by what one is doing now
and is willing to do for the causa.
Anyone can sit on a bunk and zombie out at the stupid box (TV) for all
your life. That my friend is not a revolutionary individual, an Oh Gee
or whatever you want to call it. The youth is our future. Embrace and
teach. Oh, one more thing, don’t get caught up on the goodies. The pigs
love to see that shit. I wonder why?
Also, there’s this hardcore book that just came out: Chican@ Power
and the Struggle for Aztlán. Man, everybody needs to read it. Go on
and put that paypal you was gonna spend on hold and order this book. And
don’t forget to also slide a donation to MIM to help out with the books
and material that MIM provides to the less fortunate. Think of it as the
prison kitty we have here in the yards and write in!!
Enclosed is a bit of stamps as a donation, and I’ve been recruiting. I
hope they’ll pitch in as well.
p.s. For those going to board, know that the swine is conducting a
facebook background check, trying to catch mofos on the web. Incognito
fellas, it can result in a denial of parole.
MIM(Prisons) adds: A few good tips from our comrade here who is
putting eir money where eir mouth is. While we do not promote an
idealized revolutionary lifestyle, we do think that people can often
underestimate the effect that watching TV has on people and their
health. And if that is what you are doing with all your time you really
aren’t living life.
MIM has long been cutting edge in terms of promoting good security
practices and technologies. And a while ago we realized that even
prisoners need to be conscious about security in relation to computers
and cell phones as we wrote about in Under Lock & Key 31.
Finally, if prisoners want to get Chican@ Power, it is available
for the discounted rate of $10 from MIM Distributors or for work
exchange from our Free Books for Prisoners program.
Survival in this imperial dungeon is a must. Survival is more than
looking over ya shoulder wondering when a shank will be placed in your
back. Survival in these walls has a broad base.
First, we must be vigilant in what we eat, the reason why is food
nourishes the body, mind and soul. There are so many chemicals added to
our diet that it kills or destroys us over a period of time. We must
change our diet or balance it with more fruits and veggies. What I have
done was get on a kosher diet rich in fresh produce, and cut back on a
lot of mystery meat. How can we fight with all our strength if what we
eat is making us weak?
Another survival method I use is peers. I connect to those held captive
in the system of snakes, and politic with them so we can all be on
point. Staying away from negative energy which brings chaos. I try to
apply “each one teach one” as my everyday survival method, cause once
you help your brother-comrade in need it brings a feeling of joy.
But the enemy can come with all kinds of tricks, and once they see you
are a fighter for justice, then you’re hauled off to a solitary
confinement unit. Now that’s when you must use all the tools to survive.
One method that I currently use now while housed here is reading a lot
of material and applying the principles to my everyday life. And
spreading literature helps so us comrades can chop it up (conversate)
amongst each other and figure out ways to find solutions rather than
being a problem. But I keep a simple program so I can survive in this
imperial prison. Stocks of peanut butter in case food supply doesn’t
come. Batteries for fuel, radio to keep up with current events. And
learning more about self, so I can be prepared mentally to overcome this
injustice.
MIM(Prisons) responds: On the topic of survival in solitary
confinement, we distribute excerpts from the “Survivors Guide for
Solitary Confinement” pamphlet that was released by the American Friends
Service Committee. It is primarily authored by prisoners and gets into
many mental health tactics, including meditation, setting a schedule,
and regular exercise. These tactics are useful for any comrade who’s
serious about political organizing, whether locked up or not.
Sometimes our oppressors will put us in a strip cell with no bedding, no
warmth, no food, no water, no medical attention. In those moments,
there’s little we can do as far as relying on peanut butter reserves.
But maintaining everyday practices that keep us healthy and strong, and
with a strong ideological understanding of the reasons we’re facing
these horrible conditions, will help us remain strong and make it
through this torture. Our survival tactics may be individual at times,
but our struggle is vast.
I would like to comment on one recurring theme I’ve observed in recent
issues of ULK. I’ve noticed a willingness from prisoners who seem
to accept a prisoncrat’s word that they cannot appeal the censorship of
your - or others’ - literature. I have yet to encounter a prison system
which does not have a process for screening books, magazines, etc. While
they may be loathe to follow those procedures, we need to force them to
at least go through the motions of properly reviewing our literature, as
once that review is completed, then we can take our complaints to the
local federal courts. While they don’t always afford us the relief we
deserve, sometimes we do prevail, and if nothing else our lawsuits are
expensive to defend. At some point the attorney general’s office will
tire of defending policies which don’t comport to the state’s own
regulations. If we continue to give up at the first sign of resistance,
we will never accomplish any of our goals. Those who are unwilling to
defend their rights deserve none.
MIM(Prisons) responds: There are no rights, only power struggles,
so we agree with this comrade that it is important that everyone step up
to fight the censorship battles that are preventing revolutionary
material, or any other mail, from getting in to the prisons.
Unfortunately many states do have “unappealable” (per policy)
censorship. For example, in Texas the
Chican@
Power book was recently banned. Per Texas policy, this book is
effectively censored forever. We are pushing comrades in Texas to take
this to court to not only get the book in to prisoners in Texaztlán, but
to attempt to change this policy across the board.
We are not so optimistic that the attorney general’s office will tire
and give up, and in fact we know that even in victory the courts and the
government are likely to just change the laws on us rather than let us
win. But we do agree that these battles are sometimes winnable, and it
is persistence that pays off. At the same time, everyone taking up these
legal battles should use their fight as an opportunity to educate others
about the struggle, and why we are facing so much censorship of
anti-imperialist educational material. In this way, even if we lose in
the courts, we have made good use of our time by helping others to learn
from the fight and building resistance outside the legal realm.
Here is an example of choosing a small winnable battle by utilizing a
United Front theory in practice among prisoners of Arkansas Department
of Corrections (ADC), organized to overcome the oppressive penal system
about the human right to wear facial hair. In January 2015, the U.$.
imperialist supreme court ruled that ADC could not prohibit prisoner
Gregory Holt from growing facial hair for religious reasons. Prior to
this ruling prisoncrats argued that prisoners could hide contraband in
their hair or beards. With the above court ruling, prisoners had to
apply for a religious accommodation script in order to sport a beard. In
the spirit of revolutionary change, the prisoners within Arkansas
collectively organized and filed 5,600 applications requesting a
religious accommodation. Also there were 607 grievances that protested
that all prisoners should be allowed to wear facial hair. Because of the
surge of prisoner requests and grievances ADC asked the board to remove
the restriction, allowing all ADC prisoners to wear beards. Beginning 14
January 2016 all ADC prisoners were allowed to wear facial hair. It just
goes to show the power of a United Front, when prisoners put their
differences aside to accomplish a common goal.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This is a good example of the power of
united action, even in prison where the people have so little power. One
element of a United Front that is critical to anti-imperialists is
revolutionary leadership. While it is possible for people to come
together under even reactionary leadership to effect change, it is
revolutionary leadership that makes it possible to consolidate the
lessons of the organizing work and push forward from a basic unity
around one issue to a broader unity to build a movement that can take on
the criminal injustice system. This comrade’s example of the fight to
wear a beard is a very good starting point. It is an issue that unites
many, and beard restrictions are generally religious repression covering
for national oppression, disguised as a security issue. We can expose
how this repression fits into the broader problem of national
oppression, which the Amerikan prison system reinforces. As people see
their power to come together to effect change, and understand the system
behind the individual problems they are fighting, we can gain more
supporters and activists in the anti-imperialist struggle.
by ULK Writers Study Group January 2016 permalinkMIM(Prisons) upholds nation as the principal contradiction in the United
$tates at this time. In that contradiction we see the oppressed nations
as the primary motive force for change. And within the oppressed nations
in the United $tates we see the lumpen class as the greatest vehicle for
revolution. In exploring this last point, we are interested in studying
class contradictions and especially the class make-up and loyalties of
the oppressed internal semi-colonies. In addition, in our prisoner
support work we come across lumpen organizations that do not fall within
a certain national alignment, leaving class as the common demoninator of
those organizations.
This essay was written for the book on the lumpen class that
MIM(Prisons) has been working on for a few years. We took a break to
focus on putting out Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán,
and now that that book is published and distributed we are refocusing on
our analysis of the lumpen class in the United $tates. We have already
completed a draft of a chapter of the book, based on our economic
research about the size and composition of the lumpen class. We are
distributing this draft chapter as a pamphlet for feedback.
While analyzing economic statistics is a vital part of understanding the
lumpen class, the next step is understanding how to influence the class,
and hence the class consciousness.
We are publishing this essay in Under Lock & Key to spark
discussion and ask for feedback. We want to know how you’ve seen
individuals and groups develop lumpen class consciousness. We are
especially interested in how lumpen organizations (parasitic or
proletarian-minded) develop class consciousness amongst their
membership. How does that class consciousness overlap, interact or even
conflict with national consciousness? Please send your reports to
Under Lock & Key so we can all learn and grow from your
practice!
What is class consciousness?
Simply stated, consciousness is being aware and knowing what it is you
are observing. When you eat you may be conscious of the chewing and
swallowing. Many people eat without being aware of the act of eating –
this is parallel to most people acting in a class’s interests without
being conscious of doing so; they just do what is good for them at the
time. Consciousness of chewing does not automatically come with eating,
and neither does consciousness of class position automatically come with
belonging to a particular class.
The Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist Movement (RAIM) defines class
consciousness as “The understanding by members of particular classes
that they represent a certain class, that their class interests may
intersect or oppose those of other classes, and of their agency when
collectively organized for class struggle. Typically, class
consciousness is used to describe the most broad, clearest perspective
of either the proletariat, the bourgeoisie or their sub-classes.”
Why do we study class consciousness among the lumpen?
We study class consciousness in an effort to shape the lumpen into an
alliance with the international proletariat. Without class
consciousness, the lumpen act in ways which strengthen the position of
the bourgeoisie: by upholding bourgeois cultural propaganda (e.g. radio
rap), participating in self-destruction of oppressed nations (e.g. by
selling drugs or fomenting gang divisions), allying with Amerikkkans
against the international proletariat for “patriotic” reasons, and the
list goes on.
National oppression already leaves a persisting impression upon the
consciousness of the lumpen of oppressed nations. All of the features of
lumpen existence in the United $tates – police brutality, urban decay,
limited job and education opportunities, mass incarceration, etc. – are
features of national oppression. The elements of national oppression
that lead the lumpen to the prison doors in the first place are then
exaggerated once behind the razor wire. We would be in error to not
appreciate that the lumpen has some intuitive grasp of their place in
U.$. society. On some level people of the lumpen class realize they are
disadvantaged.
Karl Marx said in 1847:
“Economic conditions had first transformed the mass of the people of the
country into workers. The combination of capital has created for this
mass a common situation, common interests. This mass is thus already a
class as against capital, but not yet for itself. In the struggle, of
which we have noted only a few phases, this mass becomes united, and
constitutes itself as a class for itself. The interests it defends
become class interests. But the struggle of class against class is a
political struggle.”(1)
In order for a lasting development to be realized in the lumpen, we need
to do as Marx said and become a class “for itself” rather than a class
blindly working for the bourgeoisie. Our work presently is in studying
the contradictions today in our neighborhoods and cellblocks, and
employing dialectical materialism to create short-range programs in
order to push the people in the prisons, barrios, hoods and reservations
forward to reach our long-term goals. We need cadre organizations,
liberation schools, youth brigades and our own press. We need to develop
alternative forms of power which rely on the people’s independence
outside of imperialism’s sphere of influence. Time has proven that
imperialism and the basic exploitative character of capitalism cannot be
reformed nor can it be made to serve the interests of the people. It can
only continue to engender war, poverty and untold strife at the expense
of those neatly tucked away in the periphery.
In search of a better way, and in rejection of the comforts of
imperialism and its blood money, we must choose which side of the
struggle we are truly on. At any particular time lumpen, like all
people, are either acting in the interests of the international
proletariat or in the interests of imperialism. Most lumpen have no
apparent probability of status advancement, so allying with the
international proletariat is in the lumpen’s class interests. But if
socioeconomic factors were to change and the lumpen now see opportunity
for status advancement, then being allied with the international
proletariat becomes class suicide.
One socioeconomic factor to take into account is the national question,
which is directly related to national oppression and not necessarily
economic status. For instance, there are New Afrikan and Chican@ labor
aristocrats whose economic interests are with imperialism. And white
lumpen are generally allied with imperialism and the Amerikkkan nation,
even though they are imprisoned or their communities are poisoned by
mining refuse due to capitalism. Thus, one may be an oppressed New
Afrikan labor aristocrat and while aligning with the international
proletariat may be viewed in an economic sense as class
suicide, in a social sense this alliance would actually improve the
probability of status advancement overall and not necessarily be class
suicide.
Lumpen unity and class consciousness in the U.$.
Speaking on the proletariat of his day, Marx pointed out that a common
situation existed for the proletarians to unite under common interests.
The same could be said about the Brown Berets and Black Panther Party
during the 1960s and 70s. There existed a sharp level of oppression and
police brutality within Chican@ communities, which inspired the Brown
Berets to serve as protectors of their communities as well as reach out
to those from other barrios, mainly lumpen, to join ranks with them by
being productive forces for their people rather than common “gangsters.”
The Black Panther Party (BPP) did a remarkable job building and
developing class consciousness among the masses of the New Afrikan
nation. The BPP was able to tie much-needed community programs to the
stark material reality of New Afrika. Not only were the Panthers feeding
the youth through the Free Breakfast Program, they educated the masses
on their class position through this altruistic act. In one stroke they
were able to secure the trust and gratitude of the people and illustrate
the failures of the semi-colonial relationship in which the New Afrikan
nation is ensnared.
There are glimmers of class consciousness in prison at times, but these
episodes ebb and flow due to the bourgeois mindset of much of the prison
population. Being raised in a First World country, we are influenced by
its culture although it is not our own. As Mao said in eir essay “On
Practice,” “in class society everyone is a member of a particular class,
and every kind of thinking, without exception, is stamped with a brand
of class.” The assumption of inevitable imprisonment or death; the
glorification of drug and pimp culture; hustling for individual gain
while harming our kin; and nihilism are examples of lumpen culture under
the influence of the bourgeoisie.
At times we may see prison uprisings, strikes, or other prison
organizing across national lines, but these events don’t usually remain
intact for very long. This is because class consciousness does not
develop spontaneously, rather it must be cultivated and spread through
education and agitation. Only through the help of an educated cadre –
both inside and outside prison walls – can class consciousness develop.
Present-day examples of class consciousness development in prison
In the Communist Manifesto, Marx and Engels said of class
struggle for the workers, “The real fruit of their battles lies, not in
the immediate result, but in the ever-expanding union of the
workers.”(2) Marx and Engels understood that class struggle would
continue so long as classes exist. They saw the union of the proletariat
as the prize, not what concessions were gained from the ruling class per
se.
Something similar was experienced with the California prison hunger/work
strikes in recent years. The words of Marx and Engels were seen
manifested, not in a “union of the workers” but in a union of the
imprisoned lumpen. This union of lumpen produced the Agreement to End
Hostilities. The real victory is in getting lumpen to see and experience
that it is really us versus the pigs, and that a concrete force exists
which oppresses ALL lumpen prisoners in some way. These are acts which
cultivate an environment where class consciousness can grow; it creates
a fertile ground for this process.
Within the environment of prison, lumpen organizations (LOs) are by far
more structured and disciplined than they are on the streets. Despite
the negative activity and values of parasitic LOs, there is reason to
believe that they can operate to achieve revolutionary ends. Pick up any
Under Lock & Key newsletter and one will find evidence of LOs
working in prison to contribute to the anti-imperialist movement. So it
isn’t a far-fetched idea to use LOs as revolutionary vehicles in
building consciousness among imprisoned lumpen.
Lumpen organizations already bring out a form of consciousness within
their membership, meaning they instill pride within their own people.
LOs in prison are often organized by “ethnicity,” and in that sense they
develop their national pride, identity and culture. Their consciousness
as a subgroup is raised. This is not class consciousness, and most times
not even national consciousness, but it’s a start, and more it’s a
platform which can be used and highlighted. Most LOs already have an
ideological indoctrination process in place for new recruits; adding
class consciousness to this structured education shouldn’t be much of a
stretch.
Class consciousness will only develop so much within a LO just like a
crocodile will only grow so much when confined to a small fish tank. If
the LO is engaged in anti-people activities, it is prevented from
advancing politically. The parasitic nature of a profit-driven LO will
never allow true unbridled class consciousness to develop because to do
so would change the fundamental purpose of that LO. This is why
Growth is one of the 5 principles of the United Front for Peace
in Prisons. Comrades must not be discouraged from growing from a
parasitic lumpen actor to a class-conscious revolutionary lumpen actor.
Lumpen organizations and other subgroups can come together to become a
whole and thus unite as a class, as did the proletariat in Marx and
Engels’s day, as did the Russian proletariat unite with the peasantry
(uniting two classes) and how Mao Zedong united the peasantry in China
upon common interests with the proletariat. When conditions in prison
reach an intolerable level of suppression that affects all prisoners as
a whole, we will begin to see each other as sharing the same interests
of ending oppression behind the walls. Unfortunately this will not
automatically make all prisoners come together in unity. Prison
conditions alone aren’t a sufficient factor to promote class
consciousness amongst imprisoned lumpen.
Practical experience shows that the more repressive the situation people
find themselves in, the more likely they are to challenge the situation
and find ways to combat it. In some facilities, a wide range of reading
material is permitted to be possessed by prisoners, and the pigs aren’t
readily looking for politically conscious leaders to repress and harass.
At first glance it seems the freedom of movement and association would
be a good environment to run political study groups and organize with
each other. However, the flip side of having little repression is that
many choose to spend more time chasing and idolizing bourgeois
lifestyles; instead of picking up some political lit to read, they
choose to discuss Nikki Minaj’s ass on the VMAs.
How to organize
Class-conscious lumpen must lead
The job of class conscious prisoners is to not just understand that
change and development is good and inevitable, but we need to find ways
to translate this understanding to the broader lumpen masses, and as
quickly and efficiently as possible. It is on the lumpen to look beyond
the interests of our own to achieve a higher level of political
consciousness, and it is on politically conscious prisoners to point out
the cause of our problems as well as what’s stopping all from uniting.
Organize around local experiences/conditions
There is not a one-size-fits-all solution to awakening the imprisoned
lumpen class. There are many different types of individuals and
different backgrounds/histories and beliefs. And we organizers all have
different strengths and operate in varying conditions. But in general,
open lines of communication, dialogue, re-education, and finding
common-ground causes to fight for helps the process.
What should be stressed as a development to higher consciousness is the
injustices experienced in common. With this sense of having a common
injustice done against us, we will be more susceptible to change. If
there isn’t a lot of immediate suffering to organize around, we can call
on our common experiences prior to imprisonment. Even in relatively
comfortable prison conditions, we can start by exploring how we came to
imprisonment in the first place. The poor quality of teachers in our
schools and mis-education given to us by the imperialists is by design.
We can then use these direct experiences to organize with others on
practical projects – campaigns to improve our collective conditions of
confinement, collective legal actions, appeals, literacy, etc. – and
work to add to the preconditions of class consciousness in prisons.
Attempts to integrate politics with a prison struggle will bring a
higher level of class consciousness only if we can explain to others how
it’s not just an isolated struggle within prison we’re all confronted
with, but the infrastructure behind the prison industry itself, its
society, the socio-economic relations, its effects on our interpersynal
relationships and culture, and the world. When imprisoned lumpen begin
to unite for common interests, then politically conscious prisoners
should advocate for continued struggle. Once any concessions are
granted, many tend to think “well, that’s all we’re going to get”, or
they see a tiny concession as a huge victory, and step back from
organizing. This is a sign of a lack of class consciousness, and a lack
of internationalism, that must be addressed by the prison movement
leaders head on.
Build study groups
We can lead study groups on deeper topics, or open debates on anything
as simple as a news report. Although this may be harder in isolation, it
is usually still possible to share material with others in your pod or
initiate discussions on the tier. Sharing your views and hearing others’
can bring many together if a common objective is trying to be reached.
It helps to build public opinion in opposition to the bourgeois media
outlets. When there are one or two lumpen within every group agitating
in this way, along with strong communication in other circles, sharing
reading material and legal work, it all works to push their studying
into actual work, and go from being spectators to actors in the process
of transforming these dungeons and the imperialist system generally.
There are many topics to study to give a thorough understanding of our
class position, including the works of Marx, Mao, Lenin, Engels and
other communist revolutionaries before us. Political economy unlocks the
mysteries of the origins and results of class struggle. The bourgeoisie
(the owners of the means of production) and the proletariat (those who
had nothing so must sell labor power) make up the principal
contradiction in the realm of political economy. Understanding these
classes, and all their sub-classes, requires one to perform a class
analysis so that one understands where people stand on the economic
totem pole, and determine where the social forces stand. Part of class
consciousness is understanding who’s on our side and who’s trying to
imprison, kill, and dismantle us.
If we were to utilize the tables out on the yards for
educational-neutral grounds instead of real estate or casinos, a lot
more will be susceptible to change their patterns. One table could be
strictly legal work (grievances, lawsuits, etc.); one for help with
reading, college and GED; one for addressing the daily issues so that
nothing arises to blindside folks; one for political education, etc.
These tables would be neutral ground for all nations, LOs, etc. to gain
knowledge and put it to use. They would function simultaneously as Serve
the People programs and political education meetings, building unity and
transforming the lumpen into a class “for itself.”
I request that you stop writing or sending me any of your publications.
I am not involved in promoting, recruiting, security threat groups of
Latin Kings, promoting hunger strikes, or any other disruption of the
institution. I received a notice of rejection or impoundment of
publication on 1/7/16. Also on 1/7/16 I was placed in confinement under
investigation that I believe your publication caused. Therefore, I wish
not to have any involvement with this publication or MIM Distributors.
MIM(Prisons) responds: We have removed this writer from our
subscription list but we print this letter to show people just how far
the prisons will go to try to intimidate people and stop them from
learning from anti-imperialist literature. Unfortunately this persyn
never even saw a copy of ULK and so does not know just how far
off the claims are. There are no prison policies or laws that
legitimately allow for the isolation of a prisoner due to receipt of
educational material, nor can literature like ULK identify a
prisoner as a security threat. However, we know that the prisons see
revolutionary education as a threat to security because of the
consciousness this brings. A conscious prisoner is more likely to fight
for eir legal rights, and to advocate for the rights of others. A
conscious prisoner is more likely to educate others and organize them to
fight for their rights. And so, the prisons consider this a “threat to
security.” What we really threaten is the security of their system of
social control. We respect that there are some who are not ready to
suffer for this struggle, but for all those who stand strong and
maintain their right to receive ULK, in spite of reprisals, we
know that sometimes even this is a revolutionary act.
I would like to share a struggle that many Kansas captives are dealing
with currently. In the past few years, the synthetic marijuana drug
known as K2 has flooded the prison system. Its use is easily hidden from
detection because urine analysis tests don’t regularly detect for it.
One way it’s detected is from red eyes. The KDOC is saying “red eyes” is
a determining factor in writing a class one Disciplinary Report (DR) for
substance abuse.
I recently had a seizure (my medical history includes epilepsy) and was
rushed to the clinic. I came to with red eyes from having the seizure
and the nurse said to me “you have no history of seizures, did you smoke
some K2?” With this comment, I was not treated for my seizures, I was
taken straight to segregation, and while still in handcuffs had another
seizure in the cell. From hitting my face, I was bruised and bleeding.
The nurse came down and said “It’s just the drugs coming out of him,
keep him in seg. We’ve already seen him.” I was scared I was going to
die!!! I hadn’t used any drugs, I was having seizures and medical was
refusing me care. It was later found in the computer that I had been
treated for seizures, had been on anti-seizure medication, and had been
hospitalized for seizures. Because of the DR I was placed in segregation
for 21 days and had my visits suspended for one year. I filed appeals
and even contacted the Kansas Medical Review Board. They concluded
“because of this inmate’s history of seizures, we believe the DR may
need to be re-evaluated.”
No one in the Department of Corrections was willing to correct this DR.
The nurse that made the comment “this might be from K2” told me word for
word “you should be able to beat this on appeal” after she was made
aware of my past history of seizures. In her medical report (that was
used to find me guilty) she stated “inmate has no history of seizures.”
That was clearly medical malpractice, my history was in her computer,
and I told her I had a history of seizures and she called me a liar.
I have now paid $195 and filed a 60-1501 [habeas corpus petition]
downtown. There is no way that simply having red eyes after having a
seizure shows proof of K2 drug use. I know of several others who have
had red eyes from allergies and have been convicted for this same
bullshit writeup. I’m encouraging everyone who gets a substance abuse DR
solely on “red eyes” to challenge this write up on the way to the
courts. It needs to be done and change needs to be made. This is based
on a pure assumption and no solid facts.
MIM(Prisons) responds: This medical neglect in Kansas underscores
the prison’s use of unscientific criteria to classify people into
segregation. Just as so-called gang members are identified based on
false evidence, now the Kansas DOC is identifying illicit drug users
based on criteria so common they can use it to label anyone they like.
Red eyes can come from a summer allergy, lack of sleep, or any number of
other causes. Prisoners have to be careful they don’t get soap in their
eyes when washing their faces, if the prisoncrats are looking for an
excuse to punish them. We echo this writer’s call to everyone affected
to challenge these writeups. And we urge this comrade, or others in
Kansas, to draft a grievance that can be used by everyone for this
challenge. This would make a good state-wide campaign because it ties
together the issues of medical neglect and control units in a battle
against a practice that will no doubt target politically active and
conscious prisoners for isolation. We should work to build a united
front to fight this policy in Kansas.
I just wanted to take advantage of this lull in the recent pain I’ve
been struggling with, as much psychologically as physically. It should
get better, relatively speaking, and pass. It usually does. The only
thing that’s truly effective is the pain medication I’m on, but I’m not
in any position to request an increase. I’ve got a good doctor right now
and he does what he can, of course within the restrictions imposed upon
him that limit his abilities. It’s really just so damn frustrating, not
being able to identify the root of the pain. I can’t help but genuinely
wonder if I’d be subjected to this if I were not incarcerated and had
good insurance and doctors?
You see, my doctor can only do so much here behind these walls for a
number of reasons. Resources are practically non-existent and anything
he wants to do, it’s first scrutinized and questioned. And if it’s
okayed then he has to outsource it to an outside specialist and
hospital. And quite often the specialists will either “shoot it down” or
use it as an opportunity to run up a bill and bill it to the state. That
is, they’ll admit me for several days, or a week, run a load of
expensive but pointless tests that they’ve run before. So I’m shackled
to a bed and they always either discontinue, or significantly reduce my
pain management to ineffective dosage.
So my doctor here is very limited in what he can do without ultimately
risking his own employment. You push too hard to provide adequate health
care to us animals and it won’t be long before you’re seeking employment
elsewhere.
Philosophically, it’s really an interesting dilemma. Especially for a
Marxist, or one well acquainted with “the unification of opposites.” As
we know, the prison system as an appendage of the “state apparatus”, is
in its very essence, that is, by its “nature,” an oppressive
institution.
All doctors take a Hippocratic oath and although the oath is
subjectively interpreted, the practice of medicine is objective, and the
practice of medicine in its “essence” (nature) is irreconcilably opposed
to the essence of the prison system and its very existence.
So any doctor employed by the state (prison) is in direct opposition to
the very essence of its employers. This is an objective phenomenon that
exists whether one is conscious of this inter-connection of opposing
tendencies, or not.
Ultimately the doctor will either submit and capitulate to the
interests, i.e. trajectory, of the state through a slow process of
indoctrination that occurs both subtlety and conspicuously, consciously
and subconsciously, as well as from their own experience that they will
have with those prisoners around them. And this is the greatest
influence on them. I have to admit that I have a tremendous amount of
respect for those doctors that do last as long as some of them do when I
see how some (most) of these “inmates” act. (notice my distinction of
inmate vs. convict).
Anyway, my doctor is in a no-win position. He does what he can without
jeopardizing his job security. And although you and I would without a
second thought, push and fight until we were unemployed, in these
circumstances we are in the minority.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This is just another example of how the
oppressed struggle for day-to-day survival under capitalism, despite
some principles like the Hippocratic oath. In every issue of ULK
we print a statement discussing a better form of justice that will be
implemented under the dictatorship of the proletariat. We often talk
about Chinese prisons during the socialist period of 1949- 1976. The
most in-depth reports we have of those conditions come from the former
emperor and collaborator with the Japanese occupiers who slaughtered
hundreds of thousands of Chinese people, and two Amerikan students
imprisoned for spying for their country.(1) Both stress the fair
treatment they received, and being fed adequate food in times when food
was not always in adequate supply for the whole population. Meanwhile,
in the heart of excess, in the United $tates, we have prisoners
suffering from lack of basic needs.
It is obvious that this system has no interest in serving the oppressed.
But what might not be so obvious is how prisons can and have been used
in states that are of and by the oppressed. While a socialist state will
use force to repress those who attempt to restore exploitation and
oppression, the goal is to build communism. Therefore everyone is to be
included in the benefits of society, and even the former class enemies
will be won over by fair and humane treatment while being struggled with
politically. That is what it looks like to engage in a project to
abolish class differences. The key difference is the class in charge. It
is only when the proletariat seizes the state from bourgeois rule that
we will see systems that truly serve all people. Until then such claims
are just political sloganeering.
Last week I received a visit from Deputy Superintendent Ondrejka, who is
the head of the security department of this institution. He told me that
he received word that I’m having some “undesirable contacts” sent to me
in education materials. He stated that the mailroom supervisor is a
Christian and that she feels offended when she sees communist materials
in the mail when she searches it. Ondrejka said that he is aware that a
lot of my communist mail is burned by the mail lady, even though it is
illegal to do so.
When I asked Ondrejka if he is going to stop it from happening again, he
said “Why should I? Stop getting things like that sent in and you won’t
have to worry about your mail being burnt.” I stated to Ondrejka that I
find it funny that the mail lady, who claims to be a Christian, gets
offended at political study material, but lets all types of pornography
in to inmates via the same channels. Ondrejka said that he could care
less about the smut, he is concerned about the communist literature that
gets sent into his prison. He told me that the administration is about
to start cracking down on anarchist and communist materials, and start
labeling those who possess them as Security Threat Group (STG). He said
that any further MIM literature will be stopped and deemed contraband.
This being said, I can see for myself just how critical political study
really is. If the slavemasters are threatened by it, then it must have
incredible worth. I am a firm believer that knowledge is the ultimate
power, the greatest weapon there is. The pigs try to stop real education
in the gulags, because they know that when we have a true education and
know the truth about the way things really are, they are defeated.
I call all my fellow prisoners to arm yourselves: not with knives or
guns, but with educational resources - knowledge. With these weapons we
can defeat the powers of imperialism and capitalism! I salute all of my
fellow comrades who are fighting the pigs on a consistent basis. I am
right here on the battlefield with you. The pigs censored my first study
assignment from MIM(Prisons), but I will not give up! My motto is and
always will be resist, resist, resist! I want to thank MIM(Prisons) for
giving me ground to stand on in this political battle we are fighting. I
look forward to receiving more from MIM(Prisons).
MIM(Prisons) responds: We agree with this comrade that knowledge
is a very powerful weapon in our advance toward communism, and it is
essential to a successful movement against all oppression. However
knowledge alone is not going to enable us to defeat the powers of
imperialism and capitalism. When we are strong enough and the conditions
are right, we will be forced to pick up knives and guns in order to
assert power over the oppressors – they won’t have it any other way.
We distribute a
Censorship Pack,
which has basic information on how to fight censorship of political
materials. The mailroom staff in this anecdote is acting in complete
violation of established caselaw on the issue of censorship in prisons.
Below is an excerpt from the Censorship Pack, citing relevant caselaw.
“The decision to censor or withhold delivery of a particular letter
must be accompanied by minimum procedural safeguards against
arbitrariness or error.” Procunier v. Martinez, 416 U.S.396. 94 S.Ct
1800
“Wardens may not reject a publication ‘solely because its content is
religious, philosophical, political, social[,] sexual, or . . .
unpopular or repugnant,’ or establish an excluded list of publications,
but must review each issue of a subscription separately.” Thornburgh v.
Abbott, 490 U.S. 401
“When a prison regulation restricts a prisoner’s First Amendment right
to free speech, it is valid only if it is reasonably related to
legitimate penological interests.” Lindell v. Frank, 377 F.3d 655, 657
(7th Cir. 2004), citing Turner v. Safely, 482 U.S. 78, 89 (1987).
We are looking forward to continuing to study and struggle with this
comrade, in whatever way is possible. It might mean fighting off this
illegal censorship first, and our Censorship Pack is a good place to
start that battle.
por un@ prisioner@ en Washington January 2016 permalink
(traducido de Chican@ Power and the Struggle for Aztlán, p8-9)
por Cipactli
Los Chican@s dentro de las prisiones de Estados Unido$ están iniciando a
sanar de los efectos de los cientos de años de colonialismo. Un
indicador de esto es el histórico Acuerdo para Finalizar Hostilidades en
las Prisiones en cual fue emitido desde el Security Housing Unit (Unidad
de aislamiento de largo tiempo) en la prisión estatal de Pelican Bay,
California en el 2012.(1) El hecho de que una guerra que duró más de 40
años entre los Chican@s en las prisiones haya parado es enorme. Ya no
permitiremos que el estado nos manipule a emplear crimen entre moreno y
moreno, y Chican@s conscientes dedicaremos nuestras vidas en la prisión
a mantener este armisticio. Este paso es un movimiento enorme en la
dirección a la paz y a la consolidación de la nación. Los Chican@s
revolucionarios apoyamos este acuerdo de paz con nuestras vidas.
El proyecto de este libro es otro indicador de un salto en conciencia en
la población Chican@ presa, el cual es el resultado del acercamiento y
la unidad de Chican@s de los dos extremos de California a pesar de los
esfuerzos de Amerikkka para dividimos. Esto es otro índice, el que
tengamos pensamiento Chican@ de las regiones norteñas y sureñas de
California unidos en este trabajo precioso. ¡Así es como se ve la
reconstrucción de la nación!
La nación Chican@, como cualquier otro fenómeno, no es una masa estática
y tiene muchas contradicciones. Las contradicciones que brotaron en este
proyecto ayudaron a formar y expandir este libro, y se mantiene su
fluidez en nuestra búsqueda de la verdad y el camino al futuro. Existen
muchas formas de pensamiento Chican@ (Chicanismo) dentro de la nación y
por todas las tantas regiones de Aztlán. Es la interacción de la gente
con la realidad y el mundo material dondequiera que residan lo que le da
nacimiento a su reacción en respuesta. La experiencia en nuestra vida
fortalece y afecta nuestro crecimiento y no desafía así como seguramente
enciende nuestras luchas. Los Chican@s existen en varios ambientes
distintos, algunos más cercanos a México, comunidades blancas, ghettos
negros, o a reservaciones. Algunos están conscientes otros no. El
entender esta realidad social dentro de la nación es tal vez tan
importante como el dedicar la vida de uno a sanar a la nación y el
reconstruir a Aztlán. Sin el entendimiento de nuestras condiciones
actuales, no podemos movernos hacia adelante.
El tema de este libro entonces puede sumarse mejor como cómo podemos
analizar hoy a la nación Chican@ y los desarrollos históricos que están
saliendo de las prisiones contemporáneas. Nuestra habilidad de vender
nuestras “divisiones” históricas provocadas-por-el-estado como presos
Chican@s tal vez puedan ser una contribución para los Chican@s fuera de
las pintas quienes puedan estar divididos por contradicciones políticas
y regionalismo.
Este proyecto no hubiera tenido éxito en este tiempo sin MIM(Prisiónes).
Su duro trabajo debe ser aplaudido porque ayudaron a proveer varias
formas de asistencia para este proyecto cuando muchos grupos han
descartado a los presos Chican@s como indignos o incorregibles.
MIM(prisons) fue extremadamente instrumental facilitando esta
colaboración entre Chican@s de los dos extremos de California y el
fortalecimiento de nuestros acuerdos de paz. Chican@ Power and the
Struggle fro Aztlán (Poder Chican@ y la Lucha por Aztlán) solo pudo ser
posible con su tiempo, trabajo y guía ideológica.
Tal vez no viviremos para ver nuestro trabajo ser victorioso, pero no lo
hacemos por esto. Alguien dijo una vez “Tu no ganas, tú cambias el
mundo” y supongo con este proyecto no contamos con ganar hoy pero si
esperamos en crear un cambio para la nación Chican@, y, como un
resultado, para el mundo.
Como Chican@s comunistas entendemos que pequeño regionalismo y etiquetas
derivadas imperialistas son veneno para la nación. Este proyecto no es
más que un preludio de lo que viene de parte del re-encendimiento del
movimiento Chican@.
Upon reading ULK 46 I was once again reminded of the difficulties
that us prisoners face trying to have our grievances heard. I would like
to share with ULK readers a remedy for this issue that I have
discovered.
Pursuant to Powe v. Ennis, 177 F.3d 393 (5th Circuit 1999); and
Lewis v. Washington, 300 F.3d 829 (7th Cir. 2002), if prison
officials refuse to hear your grievance, your administrative remedies
are exhausted. You do not need a response to your grievance to pursue
your issue in the courts. You need only prove that you filed the
respective grievance.
This can easily be done. First, after you have written your grievance
fill out a Proof of Service form stating that on such-and-such date you
sent so-and-so a grievance regarding such-and-such issue. After you have
filled out the Proof of Service form get it notarized at your facility’s
law library. Secondly make sure to make copies of both your grievance
and the Proof of Service form to keep in your files. Finally, repeat
this process at every level of your state’s grievance system.
For example: In Illinois there is a three-step grievance system. I have
personally used this method in the past (successfully). First, I filed
my grievance with my counselor; next I filed it with my institution’s
grievance office; then I filed it with the Administrative Review Board.
Each time I filed my grievance I also filed a Proof of Service form. By
doing so I was able to show the Court that I had attempted to resolve my
claims through the grievance process. This resulted in the court siding
with me and denying the State’s Motion for Summary Judgement. I am
enclosing proof of this method’s success for MIM(Prisons) to verify.
Although this is not the ideal solution it is one that will allow
prisoners to pursue their legal matters without being obstructed by the
Capitalist swine.
Example Proof Of Service
Hereby comes [your name] to swear under penalty of perjury that on the
date signed below I sent the [prison name] Grievance Officer a grievance
dated [date] concerning the misplacement of my TV and Norelco Razor by
prison authorities through the institutional level mail service.
Executed this ___ day of _____ [month] ________ [year]
_________________________________ [signature]
[get this stamped and signed by a notary public.]
MIM(Prisons) adds: This is a helpful update to the country-wide
grievance campaign and likely is a tactic that can be used in states
other than Illinois. How “easily” this tactic can be employed depends on
the conditions of one’s confinement. As some prisoners are held in
24-hour lockdown, with no access to a law library, and the only receipt
offered for filing a grievance is another beating from prison guards,
they might not be able to easily employ this tactic. But for many
prisoners, this might be a stepping stone from having one’s grievances
altogether ignored, to getting one’s foot in the door in the courts.
Many people have requested copies of our state-specific petitions to
demand grievances be addressed after running into problems with the
grievance system. From all the petitions we have sent out, we’ve heard
few updates about the progress on this campaign. It’s important that we
sum up our political practice and learn from it. And through this
summing up we can determine how to best modify our practice to improve
it. We call this ongoing summing up and improving of our practice
“dialectical materialism.” This is a scientific approach to our
political work that enables us to learn from doing, and when we do this
summing up publicly, through a newspaper like Under Lock &
Key, we can apply these lessons across a broad base of organizers
and be far more effective in the work that we are all doing.
So if you use, or have used, the above tactic, be sure to tell
ULK if it helped you, or what you did to improve it. That way we
can all learn from each others’ practice to improve our own.
Linked document is a letter from the prisoner requesting assistance
with eir lawsuit.
The conditions continue to be much better here at Connally Unit in
Kenedy, Texas since I filed that lawsuit on the
recreation/lockdowns/food. But of course that could be reversed at any
moment so I continue to push it and continue to use it as a tool to
organize/mobilize the prisoners to take group action.
We are working on a mass grievance campaign at the moment, to follow up
on some of the issues that are in the lawsuit but the administration
hasn’t adequately addressed. It’s really pretty minor stuff, as the main
thing was them cancelling rec every day, and they have stopped doing
that. But I feel like you’re either moving forward or you’re going to
move backwards, you know? And the real value in a group action like a
mass grievance campaign is what it does to raise the consciousness of
the group.
There is definitely a lot more interest since people here have seen that
we CAN fight back. But the general consciousness level was so low here
and the prisoners were so beat down and demoralized that it will take a
LOT of work to develop any widespread activist mentality.
I’m going to enclose a copy of a form letter I typed up and sent out to
about ten civil rights organizations already. It’s pretty
self-explanatory. Just trying to get some more support on this lawsuit.
And I know your funding is very limited plus you aren’t lawyers there,
so you’re not going to be able to help directly. But I’m sending it on
the off chance that someone there might know a lawyer with sympathies
towards the cause who might be willing to do something.
Like I explain in the letter, we don’t necessarily need actual
representation. This is a pretty straightforward case and they are going
to want to settle at some point. Obviously they are – that’s why they
immediately started running rec again once I filed it. They know the
records are going to show they were just flat out lying about these
so-called staff shortages. But with a lawyer putting additional pressure
I think we will get better terms on any settlement and a settlement will
happen quicker.
I want to get these improvements locked in with a legally binding
written agreement asap so that I can move on to other projects. So if
you do happen to know a lawyer or have any other ideas for what you
might do with this letter, please keep our struggle here in mind, okay?
Thanks.
MIM(Prisons) adds: The pdf linked to this article is a copy of
the author’s letter ey sent to ten civil rights organizations. The
letter outlines the conditions in Connally Unit regarding an egregious
lack of recreation time and lack of adequate food. The author is asking
for a lawyer to intervene in order to push the lawsuit to a quick
settlement. If you are able to assist this struggle, please
write to
MIM(Prisons) and we will put you in touch with the leader of the
suit.
I received the Texas Grievance Pack you sent to me, and I am able to
assist other Texas prisoners here on this unit in some issues which we
are facing. Though none is as serious as the fact that a few months ago
we prisoners on Eastham Unit in Lovelady, Texas, were and still are
having to drink contaminated water which is tainted with at least lead
and copper! The Officers here on this unit do not drink the water but we
prisoners are forced to as we are trapped here like rats in a wet box.
At least the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ) put up a
public notice concerning this. So now we know and are aware that we are
slowly being poisoned. This is the most pressing issue we are facing
here. It is one thing to pay for your wrongs or crimes by doing time,
but to also have to be poisoned by the state erstwhile is something else
entirely.
MIM(Prisons) adds: From the projects to reservations to prisons
to indigenous peoples in rainforests, poisoning oppressed people slowly
through contaminating an essential nutrient to humyn life – water – has
long been a tactic of national oppression. In the pages of ULK we
have long been reporting on contaminated water at various prisons across
the country.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on lead:
“Lead can affect almost every organ and system in your body… Lead can
accumulate in our bodies over time, where it is stored in bones along
with calcium. Adults exposed to lead can suffer from: Cardiovascular
effects, increased blood pressure and incidence of hypertension
Decreased kidney function Reproductive problems (in both men and
women)”(1)
Below is information from the Minnesota Department of Health on
Copper in drinking water:
“Copper is a reddish metal that occurs naturally in rock, soil, water,
sediment, and air. It has many practical uses in our society and is
commonly found in coins, electrical wiring, and pipes. It is an
essential element for living organisms, including humans, and-in small
amounts-necessary in our diet to ensure good health. However, too much
copper can cause adverse health effects, including vomiting, diarrhea,
stomach cramps, and nausea. It has also been associated with liver
damage and kidney disease.”(2)
The EPA enacted the Lead and Copper Rule in 1991,
“The treatment technique for the rule requires systems to monitor
drinking water at customer taps. If lead concentrations exceed an action
level of 15 ppb or copper concentrations exceed an action level of 1.3
ppm in more than 10% of customer taps sampled, the system must undertake
a number of additional actions to control corrosion [of pipes].”(3)
If possible, find out the level of lead and copper in your pipes and if
it exceeds the amount recommended by the EPA you may be able to start a
campaign in your facility around this shared problem. The EPA is a
notoriously bureaucratic organization (and part of the U.$. government
that perpetuates the destruction of oppressed nations) so finding relief
from them is unlikely. In the fight for survival pending revolution,
avoiding known poisons might be a campaign to take on and use to build
unity.
In honor of our comrades and others sacrificed and murdered at Attica on
9 September 1971, the purpose of this article is to promote unity,
peace, and solidarity amongst all prisoners regardless of affiliation or
association. For, “every individual who stands against oppression on any
level is a freedom fighter.”(1) And, “We want everyone to take the
ideological development of our movement into their own hands.”(2) We
must face the truth that we can be our own worst enemy allowing our
oppressors to manipulate us against our best interests through the
tactic of divide and conquer. “And they use the gangs as their puppet to
do hits for smokes and food. That’s the real story in this place that
the prisoners are brushing under the rug. It ain’t just the pigs who are
oppressing our people, it’s their puppets.”(3) These words ring true and
those of us who have been held in these gulags for any appreciable
amount of time can attest to its truthfulness.
As an alternative and challenge to do better for self, our organization,
and movement, and, especially as an act of unity in remembrance of the
atrocities inflicted on September 9th at Attica, a California prisoner
offers this sage advice: “If you see someone in the struggle in need of
some support, be that support. The number one reason for mistreatment in
prison is lack of solidarity amongst prisoners. We need to start
supporting each other in order to have a livable life. Not only will we
get along but we’ll support each other when needed.”(4) So let us adopt
this comrade’s viewpoint, at all costs, for together on 9/9 we stand and
divided we fall. Let us be determined that failure shall not be
attributable to our lack of due diligence and strong revolutionary
action.
MIM(Prisons) adds: This comrade penned the above message as part
of eir commemoration of the September 9th Day of Peace and Solidarity in
2015 and suggested that it be used as a flier for other USW comrades. It
is a good reminder of the need to address the contradictions within the
prison population for true peace and solidarity to be achieved. And as
the California comrade quoted points out, this is also closely linked to
a general spirit of looking out for each other that must be developed
year-round.
Alienation and individualism are important parts of our capitalist
culture that make oppression and abuse possible. With solidarity and by
looking out for each other the oppressor cannot get away with their
abuses. That is why solidarity is central to the question of survival
and well-being inside prisons. The campaign for mental and physical
health in prisons cannot be separated from the campaign to build the
United Front for Peace in Prisons.
September is just a few months away again, start organizing for the Day
of Peace and Solidarity. Write to us for a copy of the September 9 study
pack to start educating and building now.
by a South Carolina prisoner October 2015 permalink
There is some good news. Remember the doctor Robert Sharp mentioned in
the ULK 40Hailey
Care article? He was terminated from Ridgeland Medical and rumor has
it that he’s in Florida. A lot of effort was expended in trying to get
him out, however much work needs to be done still. It seems the history
of slavery, Willie Lynch, and other institutionalized oppression still
have an effect on a certain class of people here in South Carolina.
MIM(Prisons) adds: We’ve been reporting on the deficient medical
care in this South Carolina prison for nearly two years. By our count,
they are on at least their fourth incompetent doctor in that time, and
we have no reason to believe the medical care was any better before that
time.
While it can be a useful battle to organize around, in the end removing
“Doctor” Sharp, or any of the doctors in question, won’t solve the
problem of inadequate medical care at Ridgeland Correctional
Institution. Reformists spend all their energy trying to get a better
doctor, or a better medical director, or a better president, or
whatever. But inadequate medical care for prisoners likely isn’t Sharp’s
only offense to humynity. There are more forces at play than just
Sharp’s bad judgement or malice. And there are more Sharps than we can
count, other doctors at other prisons all across our country providing
similar or even worse treatment. There are likely more Sharp-type
doctors working in U.$. prisons than not, and when they are removed from
their job, they just go to a different facility and are replaced by a
similar “doctor.” As was explained in the Hailey Care article, the
inadequate medical care is even sponsored by the Governor of South
Carolina.
On the other hand, revolutionaries aim to change the entire social and
economic system. We want to eliminate the conditions that breed people
like Robert Sharp, Nikki Hailey, and all their predecessors. We want to
provide actual medical care for everyone in society, including
prisoners. We want to create a communist society not based on capitalism
or national oppression. Today we work on small reforms and education, to
set the stage for the day when we will need to take up arms against the
state in order to end the various oppressions inherent to capitalism.
Rising from the ashes like a phoenix Emancipated from the fetters
of oppression O, the beauty of freedom! Imperialism is the
absolute adversary And capitalism the daunting sin I was branded a
rebel Because of my revolutionary stance This was a
nightmare From which my only escape Was to awaken
I am anxious to address your and my concerns regarding former prisoners’
activism once released. I’ve never encountered anyone who espoused a
similar observation to what I am about to present. So, per my
experience, the following is a very individualized perspective, and
therefore, possibly incorrect. It may outright counter MIM(Prisons)’s
line on self-reliance. But what I recall as the greatest hardship for me
upon my previous release was isolation. The only Maoist camaraderie I
located was not in my city, but on the internet via MIM and the
Revolutionary Anti-Imperialist League (RAIL). I had to settle. The local
Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) was the only group that even remotely
resembled my political philosophy and activism ideology.
But it was settling. Lifestyle revolutionary, anarcho-fascist,
nihilists. I could be hypercritical. It’s been said I’m left of Mao, but
really, I might be right of Stalin. As a Leninist, I am a staunch
advocate of military-like party discipline. These people, I’m sure,
regarded me as an authoritarian dick. But, adhering to my instructions,
we were able to garner over 1200 pro-Churchill petition signatures in
less than 40 hours.
Politics before personalities.
I had worked as an avowed M-L-M with the ABC per their anti-prisons
campaign, and other single-issue activities. Often times when in a
verbal, confrontational struggle, the ABC folks would approach me asking
why I hated them. I didn’t. I truly liked and enjoyed the social company
of the ABC people. But I was not going to compromise line. The
relationship between ABC and myself quickly degenerated and ended with a
campaign of slander against me. I could indeed write a paper entitled
“Why the ABC is the Police.”
But it was the isolation of being the only Maoist in my city’s radical
elements. The ABC told me as much stating maybe I’d be better off in a
different city, closer to my own kind. But even at the most secluded
times, I could be found handing out MIM Notes (most downloaded
from the internet) proselytizing for revolution - by myself. That can
get a little lonely.
I believe it of immediate import: computer security. I’ve missed a few
things the last few years of my accelerated downward spiral, but the
last I heard, those wishing to use public library computer labs must
present a photo ID, your ID # being your access PIN #. That was my
experience when I attempted to use a public library computer in the
2000s. I also remember librarians protesting a provision of the Patriot
Act requiring public libraries to maintain records of materials parolees
had checked out. I found this to be significant, as the library system
had available books, CDs, DVDs, etc. that might attract pig scrutiny.
It has been my practice to utilize computer labs available at a
University, mainly at the law library as I had integrated myself with
the staff there due to my uncommon knowledge of law. This is where I
printed out MIM Notes. A little difficult at the office. Too many
trips to the printer and you would be watched. When I could I’d have
several cadre accompany me. I would download MIM Notes from my
computer and I would signal cadre to retrieve them from the printer.
This way the same persyn was not observed accessing a printer; and if I
got busted for performing non-office business, we could just switch to
another computer.
On a good day we could produce 50 MIM Notes. A good week, we
could do this 3-5 days. That compounded by the notes periodically sent
by MIM, and a good quantity of papers were put on the street in the west
campus area for a period of approximately 3 years.
Isolation is a big problem. I believe it is paramount releasees be
connected to other revolutionaries. Or maybe I’m just antisocial. I have
a fear that I may be degenerating into misanthropy which, to my way of
thinking, is anathema to socialism/communism/statelessness. Anyway it is
political isolation I am apprehensive about upon my release.
MIM(Prisons) responds: In our 2010 article
“Rassessing
Cell Structure 5 years out” we asserted that 1-persyn cells have a
high likelihood of degeneration, and also are at a disadvantage when it
comes to criticism/self-criticism. It is important that this comrade
reached out to other Maoists thru the internet.
We have been soliciting feedback from our comrades on what helps people
stay politically active after they are released from prison. As an
ongoing forum for discussion , and an institution to develop our
Re-Lease on Life program further, we are going to be printing a
bi-annual newsletter devoted to this topic. This will be a place for
those planning for release, and those who are politically active
post-release, to collaborate and build. Thru this newsletter we can
discuss various tactics on how to address political isolation in
locations where there are no local Maoist cells, and other problems
facing politically active releasees.
Along with this newsletter, we have revamped our Re-Lease program over
the last year. We are not yet in a position to provide for basic needs
such as food and shelter, but we can’t let political isolation in the
belly of the beast pull solid comrades out of the struggle. Be sure to
tell us your release date, if it’s coming up within the next 2-3 years,
so we can start prepping now!
Every article in ULK
44 is on point!
“Baltimore:
Contradictions Heightening” leaves me hoping there are boots on the
ground to guide the demonstrators into an organized resistance. It seems
from historical examples that destruction of property and forcible
removal of merchandise gets results, e.g. Rodney King, whereas candles
and prayer obtain imperialistic praise, e.g. Trayvon Martin in Florida.
When a kkkapitalist suffers economic harm, imperialist forces will crush
a few of their own thug enforcers to restore the facade of calm. Destroy
the property of the bourgeoisie and the killers of oppressed citizens
get arrested.
Loco1’s article on the
sovereign
citizen movement does much to dispel myth and urban legend. But
often the hope of fallacy is stronger than the cold fist of truth.
Recently a rumor has spread that prisoners may file a 42 USC 1983
petition for just $35 if they tell the clerk to “file it in the green
file without the protection of admiralty law.” Even though I’ve shown
men an order from a magistrate judge, and a letter from the court clerk,
both stating $400 is the filing fee ($350 if in forma pauperis
is granted), prisoners still insist they only have to pay $35. I even
showed them an order denying a prisoner’s request to “file his petition
for $35.”
As for the sovereign citizen rubbish, it is historical fact that even
when a legal remedy does provide liberation, the supreme court of the
united snakes devises methods to make it inapplicable to the oppressed.
Look up Dred Scott. Consider that “a prison inmate … is not an employee
within the meaning of the [Federal Labor Standards Act].”(1) Does anyone
honestly believe that an imperialist court of pig justices would uphold
the sovereign citizen argument? Even if the argument was rooted in sound
legal principles (and your articles shows it is not), the imperialist
powers in the court are not going to say the government that empowered
them is a fraud and void.
And
Rashid
is incorrect, especially on the subject of the labor aristocracy. First,
MIM’s definition can be validated by simply engaging in discussion with
prison staff, including teachers. Those people do not identify with the
workers in other nations. Recently a teacher told me that his gas prices
should be lower because “Iraq owes us their oil in exchange for our
blood in liberating them.” When I replied that I don’t recall any Iraqis
ever asking us to invade their country and plunge it into civil war, he
said, “You only hear what you want to hear.” I was also informed it is
fair for a factory worker in India to earn 46 cents an hour because
“Amerikkka and England built that country for them.” Really? And second,
just because members of revolutionary groups are possibly from bourgeois
or aristocratic backgrounds, it does NOT mean those groups as a whole
will support revolution. But neither does it automatically exclude one
from the fight. There were Germans who fought against the nazis. And
Americans who fought for the bastards.
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